As the first lunchtime lecture of the school year, we had the privilege of listening to Noelani Jones, a fiber artist. As someone who has explored fiber art in the past, this lecture was very impactful for me since I had always struggled to find meaning in that medium for my work. Noelani mentioned that having grown up in O’ahu Hawai’i, her art is centered around the nature she experienced there and the meaning it instilled into her.
Eager to build up her community using art and to emphasize the connections between people and the natural environment, her art is seasonal and utilizes only natural methods of dying and weaving.
One of the things I have found most impactful about her work is her mention of the Hawai’ian principle of kuleana, which refers to the responsibility that people hold to protecting and living with their environment and community. Noelani follows this in her artwork by using only second-hand materials or sourcing her materials straight from nature and as ethically as possible.
Another interesting aspect of her career was her mention of various residencies. Noelani said that she loves to be inspired by other artists through these residencies, which I took to be very helpful and could aid me later on in keeping my motivation and accountability for continuing my artwork.
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