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PALAPALAI ABSTRACT
Designer Manaola depicts the beautiful silhouette of delicate forest ferns in a set of artistic compositions.
Childhood memories of gathering Palapalai ferns in the mountains are a familial tradition still carried on today. Manaola recalls traveling to the misty uplands with his family to acquire Palapalai ferns early in the morning dew. It is these cherished times shared that have set the base of inspiration for Manaola’s hand drawn illustrations.
Palapalai ferns are prized among Hula dancers as an embodiment of Laka the goddess of Hula (Dance). Their soft segmented leaves can be found in shady areas at the base of native forests. In cultural practice, the fronds of the Palapalai were fashioned into lei (garlands) and placed on the altar of the goddess Laka to invoke the spirit of the dance to enter and bring forth inspiration. Lei are made by carefully plating these delicate ferns together in a braided manner and worn by the Hula dancer. It is believed that the use of these adornments assimilate the likeness of the leaf bodies in the forest. As the Palapalai move gracefully in the slightest of winds, so does the dancer move with the elemental movements of nature.
Traditional songs and dances refer to their dainty character and fine palp that gathers moisture from the mist and rain. Thus the Palapalai pattern embodies the lush verdure of the forest realm and the vivacious spirit of the water cycles that sustain abundant growth. It is the thriving qualities of the wildwood that are honored by this native leaf body and continue to inspire natural movement as we dance through everyday life. It is Manaola’s wish that this artistic piece captures the beauty of the forest realm, bringing nature’s inspiration to the modern world.
Manaolaʻs Palapalai Abstract motif draws a parallel between re-imagined Hawaiian floral silhouettes and modern art. Contemporary geometric shapes represent the angles of sunlight and shade as the sun shines through the branches of the forest canopy. It is the heat of the Sun that pushes the moisture through its vaporous cycles causing a thriving environment for life to flourish.
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