Aloha Nō and the Power of Healing in Contemporary Hawaiian Art: An Interview with Meleanna Aluli Meyer and Noelle M.K.Y. Kahanu

In a three-part interview, J. Kēhaulani Kauanui engages multimedia artist, visual poet, and educator Meleanna Aluli Meyer, and scholar, curator, and writer Noelle M.K.Y. Kahanu. They discuss the Hawaiʻi Triennial 2025 (HT25): Aloha Nō, the state’s largest thematic exhibition of contemporary art in Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and beyond. In the first segment, Kauanui engages Kahanu and Meyer regarding their connection through friendship, related kin ties, and the Hawaiian art scene. In the second segment, Meyer discusses her vision for and creation of her installation work ‘Umeke Lāʻau: Culture Medicine and how it relates to her longtime art practice. In the third segment, Kahanu discusses her trajectory as a curator and how that artistic labor is connected to her ongoing work in relation to the Hawaiian community.