upheaval is a word that is defined as “a violent or sudden change or disruption to something.” I view my decision to move and attend graduate school in a state that is drastically far from home to have been a disruption of sorts.

For many kānaka it is hard to accept that home can be limiting in some experiences but also difficult financially. Many tourists that travel to Hawaiʻi do not often see beyond what is advertised to them. They do not necessarily return home with an understanding that for families in Hawaiʻi, the cost of living is high, housing is expensive, and finding jobs can be difficult. All these reasons and more contribute to the decision of kānaka and kamaʻāina to move away from home.

For this print, I took inspiration from the old pahoehoe lava flows, the colors of the lava rock at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and how all that I carry with me that makes me both kānaka and kamaʻāina is with me despite whatever huakaʻi (journey) I need to endure.