Endless Blue, Mauna Kahalawai by Melissa Chimera

Oil & silk stitched serigraph on canvas

28" h x 21.75" w

The painting references the Hawaiian haha, or Lobelia gloriamontis (the white flower at the bottom), native to Molokai and Maui and mostly found only in the highest mountain bogs, featured with ohia lehua and kokio ke oke o (white hibiscus) in burned silk. Mauna Kahalawai is the West Maui mountains, and the source of wealth traditionally (called waiwai) in the form of water that now supports West Maui/Lahaina/ Kaanapali/Makena region (at the expense of Lahaina and Maui Komohana traditional farmers and stream ecosystems).