"Mele Ma'i, genital or procreative chants, were traditionally composed at the birth of a child -- especially the first born -- in order to celebrate and encourage the perpetuation of that child’s family line." (credit: Kamehameha Schools)

While on the island of Oahu, I had the blessing to learn more about the sacred act of hula through a series of events at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum. It was during the Hula Ma‘i: Procreation Chants and Dances lecture, given by the incredible Kumu Hula Hōkūlani Holt of Pā‘ū o Hi‘iaka, that I began to really understand the depths of what I was in the midst of photographing on the island and how the land was still visibly, beautifully, creating birth within itself. 

Long before the event, I had somewhat lazily been trying to capture some ‘pretty pictures’ for friends and family back home. I was awed and humbled when I realized the Hawaiian land was revealing more to me than a majestic sunset: Relationships, turmoil, procreation, even death, were suddenly appearing in all it’s raw, messy, subtle, sometimes dirty, truth.

With as much time as I spend creating around the subject of women and birth, I began to see even more of a connection between what we experience as people and our natural environment. From a single pair of legs, spread and giving birth to multiple generations (‘Birth of the Family Tree’) to the devastation that can sometimes come with life (‘Miscarried’), these images offer a connecting thread of sustainability between us and Mother Earth. 

My intent with this series is to not only serve as a medium to the island of Oahu by sharing its beauty, but to also educate others on just a small portion of its history, culture, and land, which must be protected. 

I give my deepest, most humble gratitude to the women I met while creating this body of work. While I will never be able to express the gratefulness I have for your wisdom, acceptance, and education, I promise to gift it to others the best way I know how.