June 13, 2025 through May 17, 2026

From left to right: Mikiʻala Souza, Pattern Series III; Lōkela Alexander Minami, Step Aboard; Daphne Kauahiʻilani Jenkins, Makuakāne Kaikawahine; Brandon Naihe, Pile Maple.

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT

DISplace
June 13, 2025 through May 17, 2026

Co-curated by Native Hawaiian artist and kapa-maker, Lehuauakea, and artist and educator, Kanani Miyamoto, this exhibition sheds light on the often-overlooked histories and movement of people who connect Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Northwest since the arrival of the first documented Native Hawaiians to the West Coast in 1787.

DISplace features visual art by regional Native Hawaiian creatives, family stories and ephemera, historic photographs, and archival objects to honor these histories and reclaim the narrative through the voices of families and individual descendants today.

The co-curators, both members of the mixed-Native Hawaiian diaspora, draw parallels between their lived experiences and those of others who have relocated or have ties to the Pacific Northwest, contextualized by a larger timeline of significant historical events.

‘Dis place’ — this place — is a nod to the pride and resilience of these communities in the face of displacement from their original homelands. DISplace is a crucial step in recovering and celebrating these important AAPI (Asian American/Pacific Islander) histories while building an ongoing narrative of collective resilience and growing legacy no matter where we call home.

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‘Dis place’ — this place — is a nod to the pride and resilience of these communities in the face of displacement from their original homelands. It serves as an affirmation of home and a meaningful tribute to these communities’ enduring voices throughout history.

DISplace is a crucial step in recovering and celebrating these important AAPI (Asian American/Pacific Islander) histories while building an ongoing narrative of collective resilience and growing legacy no matter where we call home.

CURATORS

Kanani Miyamoto

Originally from Honolulu, Hawai`i, Kanani Miyamoto currently lives in Portland, Oregon where she practices art, teaches, and curates. She is an individual of mixed heritage and identifies most with her Hawaiian and Japanese roots, which are celebrated in her artwork.

Miyamoto holds a Master of Fine Arts in Print Media from the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and a Bachelor of Arts in Art Practices from Portland State University. Kanani is now the Arts Coordinator at p:ear, an educational initiative for homeless youth.

Important to Miyamoto’s work as an artist is sharing and honoring her mixed cultural background to represent her community and the beauty of intersectional identities. She also explores topics such as institutional critique and hopes to create critical conversations around cultural authenticity in the arts. Miyamoto is a printmaker and uses traditional printmaking techniques to create large-scale print installations and murals. In addition to being a practicing artist, she is an advocate for art education and a passionate community worker.

Lehuauakea

Lehuauakea is a Native Hawaiian interdisciplinary artist and kapa maker from Pāpaʻikou, Hawaiʻi. With a particular focus on the labor-intensive making of kapa (barkcloth), ʻohe kāpala (carved bamboo printing tools), and use of natural pigments, Lehua is able to breathe new life into patterns and traditions practiced for generations.

Through these traditional Native Hawaiian customs and gathered organic materials, their work addresses themes of environmental stewardship, Indigenous cultural resilience, and the intersectionality of an evolving contemporary Kanaka Maoli identity. Grounded in ancestral modality while advancing the medium to new, innovative forms, Lehuauakea aims to build on this tradition and ultimately share it with the next generation to ensure that this mode of Indigenous storytelling is carried well into the future. Furthermore, as part of the Native Hawaiian diaspora in North America, Lehua is committed to helping other Hawaiians with similar experiences connect to their culture away from home and find empowerment in their own heritage. Lehuauakea has spent the last several years learning from well-known barkcloth maker Wesley Sen of Moanalua, Hawaiʻi, who trained in barkcloth-making with Pua Van Dorpe, Beatrice Krauss, Malia Solomon, Carla Freitas, and Dennis Kanaʻe of Hawaiʻi, and Mary Pritchard of Sāmoa.
Lehuauakea’s work has been shown in exhibitions nationally and internationally, and is held in many prominent collections around the globe, including Portland Art Museum, National Gallery of Victoria, Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art, Forge Project, and Museum of International Folk Art, amongst others. The artist is currently based between the continent and Pāpaʻikou after earning their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting with a minor in Art + Ecology at Pacific Northwest College of Art.

ARIST HIGHLIGHT: Miki’ala Souza

Guidelines, monotype with chine collé

“I create landscapes that illustrate a world in motion. My prints focus on natural rhythms and patterns, including currents, wind, clouds, wave swells, and how humans navigate through those spaces. While my imagery doesn’t portray people, it strives to create spaces that are full of life by illuminating the interconnectedness between human cultures and the various ways we use, interpret, and care for the environment.”