Pā Puaʻa a Kāne
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Object number6077
TitlePā Puaʻa a Kāne
CreatorCory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum
Descriptionacrylic, aerosol paint
Date2016
Subjectanimal
Material150-mixed media painting
Current locationMS
Dimensions
overall: 23 x 26"
Acquired fromWindward Community College Gallery 'Iolani, "KULEANA," curated exhibition (August 29, 2025 - December 12, 2025)
Credit lineState Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Art in Public Places Collection
Accompanying textCory Kamehanaokalā Holt Taum is an active cultural practitioner and Hawaiian artist whose paintings and murals are inspired by the many stories and teachings of his ancestors. His artwork often highlights the relevance of these stories in today’s drastically changing Hawaiʻi. In reference to this painting, Taum states, “Pā Puaʻa a Kāne is one of the numerous ancient cultural sites on the cliff of the Koʻolau Mountains in Haʻikū Valley where the 16 mile H3 highway currently runs through. This is where Kāne kept his prized hogs. Discovering the works of Piliāmoʻo in my youth inspired me to respond to this great destruction in my own way through large scale murals. Where once stood extraordinary agricultural complexes, now stand a menacing network of concrete monuments that remind us daily of the destruction and loss that was a result of this highway’s construction.” Taum earned his BA in Hawaiian Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 2015.