Hui No‘eau to Offer Kapa Workshops

Kapa. Hui No‘eau photo.

The Hui No‘eau invites the public to two events about kapa, including its history and how it is made.

“Art With Aloha,” a free talk story about the art of kapa making with Visiting Artist Dalani Tanahy, will be held on Wednesday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Tanahy will talk about the art of kapa, a Hawaiian cloth made from the pounded bark of the wauke (paper mulberry) plant.

Guests will also see some of the complex process that goes into making these pieces of natural Hawaiian cloth used as clothing, blankets and for ceremonial purposes.

Hui No‘eau photo.

Tanahy will also present “Understanding Hawaiian Kapa” on Thursday and Friday, April 14 and 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Students will hear about the historic importance and demise of Hawaiian kapa, then make a shark-tooth knife and ohe kapala stamps, beat the kapa using traditional tools and methods, make dyes, learn proper gathering methods and protocols for dye plants, and discover the different types of designs unique to Hawaiian kapa.

For more information and to register, visit huinoeau.com