Kapa (Hawaiian Bark Cloth): a Cultural Foundation of the Past, Present, and Future
Page Chang
February 18, 2026
11:00am
Steel 103
O’Brien Distinguished Visiting Artist Page Chang discusses the historical relevance of the Hawaiian Kapa Making practice, what the reclamation of the practice means to the Hawaiian community, and the lessons that we take from the practice, moving into the future.
Page Chang is a Native Hawaiian Kapa maker, or Hawaiian Barkcloth maker, whose work is deeply rooted in Native Hawaiian cultural practices. Hawaiian Kapa cloth鈥攃reated with the fiber of the Wauke tree, or Paper Mulberry, pounded by hand into cloth, and colored with natural dyes鈥攈as been the heart of Page驶s artistic and educational practice for over a decade. This multifaceted cultural practice is a routine of processing, designing, farming, gathering, carving, cooking, maintenance, manufacturing, and teaching鈥攁ll roles that require living and working with the 鈥樐�ina, the land, and the community. To Aloha 鈥樐�ina, to love the land is Kumu Page驶s most treasured Hawaiian value that she teaches and practices everyday.
Made possible by the O’Brien Distinguished Professorship.
Please note that Frederic W. Goudy Lectures are free and open to the public.
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