Our Mural Process

Manalima (Healing Hands)- The first step to our mural making process is to open the wall to the community. With an array of paint colors prepared in pans, participants place their hands into the paint, then directly on to the wall until the whole wall is covered. This locks in the energy of the community and serves as the primer to the following steps.

Pilialoha (God’s rain)- Water is life. Specifically water that carries a story. Which is gathered and carefully added to the paint to create a transparent sheen over the manalima. Its effect gives a glimpse of what rain would look like if it had color. Participants learn paint application using water.

Moʻokāpala (Story Printing)- Next, similar to prints seen on garments and through the pacific. Graphic Cultural symbols are added to this phase to represent a value or tradition. This is still easy for participants to engage in, but with a slightly higher skill challenge than the previous two steps.

Moʻolelo (Story Time)- Finally, the piece that tells the story. Immortalizing the storied gifts that were given to us visually translate. This visual completes our triad of learning in terms of sensory preferences (auditory, kinesthetic, and visual.) Participants are given the opportunity to learn through observation. Something that was not allowed and was exclusive to artists and apprentices.