Hawaiian feather artist Kawika Lum-Nelmida, whose work has graced museums and fashion runways, has received a prestigious fellowship from United States Artists.
The $50,000 unrestricted cash prize, initiated by anonymous recommendation, was one of 60 announced on Wednesday by the Chicago-based organization, which has been providing the awards since 2006. “Artists are at the core of their communities, and as the difficulties of the past year have demonstrated, it is more important than ever that we continue to support individual artists,” said Ed Henry, USA board chair in a statement.
“It was an honor to be nominated, let alone be awarded it,” Lum-Nelmida said. “The last few years have been difficult in general for artists.”
Lum-Nelmida became interested in feather arts while he was a student in the Hawaiian Studies program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the late 1990s. “I think it was the fineness of it and the detailed aspect of it that attracted me to it,” he said, crediting his father’s profession as a finish contractor who put the final, artistic touches on homes for helping him to “look at things with a critical eye.”
Lum-Nelmida would go on to do a master’s apprenticeship with Paulette Kahalepuna, one of the main proponents of Hawaiian feather art. Over the years, he has created feather standards for Iolani Palace, fashion wear for the Maoli Arts Movement’s Wearable Arts Show and cloaks for Hawaii’s Grammy contestants. (Online photos show music manager Allan B. Cool wearing his cloak while posing with Miley Cyrus.)
Once pandemic concerns lift and travel becomes safer, Lum-Nelmida would like to travel around the world looking at Hawaiian feather art collections. “When our ali‘i traveled, that was the No. 1 thing they gave away,” he said. “And then I’ve done work for other museums in Europe that I haven’t gone to see yet.”
Virtual art summit planned
Artists and art experts from Hawaii and around the world will provide inspiration in a free, three-day virtual art summit next weekend. Hosted by the Hawai‘i State Art Museum and Hawai‘i Contemporary (formerly Honolulu Biennial Foundation), the Feb. 10-13 Hawai‘i Contemporary Art Summit will present family-friendly workshops on themes such as climate awareness, Indigenous cultures and Pacific interconnectedness. Among the most recognized artists appearing are Chinese activist Ai Weiwei and Chicago-based installation artist Theaster Gates. Local contributors include slam poet Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio, artist Gaye Chan and teenager Nikkya Taliaferro of Hawai’i for Black Lives.
The event is a precursor to Hawai‘i Triennial 2022. Curators Melissa Chiu and Miwako Tezuka and Associate Drew Kahu‘aina Broderick will moderate various panels and discussions.
Visit hawaiicontemporary.org to register and see a complete schedule.
