May. 13, 2016

Contributed by Pakalani Bello

Following a renovation of the Kapi‘olani Nui dormitory on the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama campus in 2014, the desire to redecorate the interior came to the forefront. While making the common areas of the dorm look nice and feel like home for the girls who live there was part of the thinking, there also was a need to create a focal point for the dorm. From there, it didn’t take long to realize that a portrait of the dorm’s namesake fit the need.

With nearly all the other dorms having a portrait of the ali‘i they are named after, the students and staff of the Kapi‘olani Nui dormitory felt it was time to have one for their high chiefess as well.

So the girls got to work at the beginning of the 2015-16 school year. They met for nine months, talking about how to start the project, how they would fundraise to contract an artist, who to go to do this artwork, and even planned out the events for the portrait’s unveiling.

The girls quickly chose Brook Parker as the artist, whose father, David Parker, was the artist who painted the portraits in the Keōpūolani and Kekāuluohi dorms. Brook Parker was also a painter who specialized in Native Hawaiian ali‘i paintings, and a had a good understanding of the girls’ wishes. But during the process, it was found that there was only one known depiction of Kapi‘olani Nui, and it was a silhouette done in the 1830s. This added to the charge of the girls, as without a portrait of their high chiefess being done before, it also became a way to add one for the Hawaiian community.

Parker looked long into the history of Kapi‘olani Nui and came up with his idea of presenting her as a young female, just like the inhabitants of the dorm named after her.

The students held fundraisers that ranged from selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts and bubble drinks to holding a Pizza Hut fundraising night to bring in around $1,000. For the remainder of the cost for the portrait, the girls presented a proposal to the high school administration to ask for funding, which was accepted.

After the portrait’s completion, there were two blessings, held on April 19 and 28, with all of the Kapi‘olani Nui students and staff, along with campus administration, Parker and his family, and some former Kapi‘olani Nui dorm advisors. Parker and his wife presented each of the girls in the dorms with a print of the portrait, while telling everyone there about the life of Kapi‘olani Nui. After the ceremony, everyone was invited to a lū‘au to commemorate the high chiefess coming home.

Photos by KS Photographer Michael Young.

Seniors of Kapi‘olani Nui dorm pull apart the drapes to unveil the portrait of their dorms' namesake.

The portrait of Kapi‘olani Nui, painted by artist Brook Parker, hangs in the common area of the dorm that bears her name.

Ho‘okahua Cultural Specialist Laiana Wong-Kanoa leads Parker and the girls of Kapi‘olani Nui as they take the portrait to its new home.

Kahu Sherman Thompson blesses the portrait.

Director of Boarding Charmaine Wong is greeted by Carol Matsuzaki, the head dorm advisor at Kapi‘olani Nui.

The girls of Kapi‘olani Nui oli to open the ceremony to unveil the new portrait.

Artist Brook Parker tells the story of Kapi‘olani Nui, and how he got the inspiration for the painting.

After the blessing and unveiling, the students held a lū‘au for all the invited guests.

Students that live in Kapi‘olani Nui are given prints of the portrait as makana from the artist and his family.