Pōpolo (Solanum americanum) lake drying. Image courtesy of Avalon Paradea.
AVALON PARADEA
I am an artist from the ahupuaʻa of Waikōloa, Kohala, Hawaiʻi island. I have been involved in ʻāina (land) based arts since 2016. My interests lie primarily in making kapa (bark cloth), working with local plant dyes, and creating/ painting with earth and lake pigments. Most of the materials I use in my art are tenderly foraged from the land, an activity that I find deeply grounding.
With a background in anthropology, ethnobotany, archaeology, and environmental conservation, my creative spirit is inspired by the intersection of local culture and the natural landscape of our incredible islands. Too often, our species is seen as separate or "other" from nature. I strive to bridge this gap by co-creating with honua, with the earth. I am passionate about the concept of community in all its myriad forms. Community came to life in a huge way at the start of 2020, when I ran a successful crowdsourcing effort to purchase a collection of historic kapa, which was donated to the Edwin H. Moʻokini Library at University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo's. Teaching and, in turn, learning from others -- both human and non-human lifeforms alike -- is at the heart of my practice.
I can be found on instagram at @avalon.dawn.art
Avalon’s paints: popolo lake, spirulina, charcoal, iron oxide and shell. Image courtesy of Avalon Paradea.
Avalon Paradea. Image courtesy of Avalon Paradea.
Pōpolo (Solanum americanum) extraction by Avalon Paradea. Image courtesy of Avalon Paradea.