The Arts at Marks Garage presents “Maka Ha,” the fourth in a series of exhibitions exploring the meanings of the Hawaiian word “maka.”

Contemporary Native Hawaiian artist Carl F.K. Pao is the kumu, or teacher, and artists Kupa‘a Hee, Cory Taum and Nicole Naone are his former art students from Kamehameha Schools. The four worked in the same studio, letting their energy and ideas bounce off one another as their pieces developed.

“We’re on this journey together. I try to share what I know, I try to learn from them,” said Pao, a Kamehameha Schools teacher. “Together, we can create something new, something inspiring. That’s kind of the root of the series of exhibitions.”

Their works reinterpret indigenous symbolism for “maka” (vision) and “ha” (breath) through paintings and sculptures.

“Maka Ha” also honors makahiki, or the ancient Hawaiian festival of the new year, held over a roughly four-month period starting in October or November, to celebrate the bounty of the land. It was a time of rest, feasting, athletic games and religious ceremonies; warfare was banned.

Pao said it remains a time for reflection and “counting your blessings, embracing fruitfulness.”

His “Makaha Moana,” a digital print on aluminum, depicts four spheres nestled within concentric circles revolving around a geometric-patterned cross in bold shades of violet, pink and green. He said the shapes are an exploration of the imagery evolving from the mouth of war god Kukailimoku, including its carved grooves.

“It’s one of four,” said Pao of the artwork. “There’s three others in different color compositions or arrangements. So it’s four and four. It’s to symbolize the four of us and having four variations of that one design.”

Hee’s ceramic sculptures include figures holding up bowls, while Taum’s paintings transform people from Makaha into deified forms on an enlarged canvas. Naone’s abstract paintings are a departure from her usual three-dimensional works, offering swaths of colors and shapes on a black background.

There are several plays on the exhibit’s title, “Maka Ha,” with one meaning of “makaha” being the sluice gate of a fishpond, according to Pao. The “ha” is also a reference to “eha,” or the number four in Hawaiian.

In 2013, Pao began with a solo show called “Maka,” followed by “Maka Lua,” which featured works by him and Hee. Each year, he invites another artist to join. Eventually, the goal is to reach “Maka Walu,” or eight perspectives by eight artists.