Kukui ʻEkahi by Apo Aquino

Cotton cordage, kukui bark dye, and obsidian clay
8' h x 16' diameter

Kukui is the Hawaiian word for light and ‘Ekahi (#1) represents my first large cordage art piece made outside of the functional upena style of today.  

In ancient times Hawaiians used the the fruit (nuts) of the kukui tree to make an oil to burn for light.  The kukui trees leaves, flowers, wood, and fruit was also used for many other purposes, including medicinal and dying. 

This upena is made with cotton cordage. The bark of the Kukui tree was used to dye the netting. And for the black weights I used obsidian clay. I shaped the pieces to resemble round lava rocks. Then they were fired in a kiln at a high temperature for over 16 hours to obtain its black color.