Kanoelani Davis (Kanaka Maoli), Multidisciplinary Artist

06/09/23 • 11 min

2022 Cultural Capital fellow, Kanoelani Davis (Kanaka Maoli), owns PoMahina Designs, a wearable art company embued in essence and culture. Aside from being a business owner whose products uplift Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) culture and designs, Kanoe's business has expanded to create a platform that invites conversation and timely perspectives on issues of our day. Kanoe derives her motivation from her ancestors and is committed to creating a better path forward for her community today and in the future.

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Madie Goodnight (Chickasaw) - Illustrator & Author

Madie Goodnight (Chickasaw) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. With support and guidance from her family and her community, Madie’s career has flourished as an illustrator of children’s books. Madie offers insight into her career path and how she continues to be inspired by the warmth and freedom of childhood memories and the stories of her Chickasaw community.

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Kaylene Big Knife (Chippewa Cree), Graphic Designer & Illustrator

Have you ever pondered what Indigenous pop art might look like, or how personal heritage can ignite a unique artistic flame? Thread that curiosity into your headphones as we engage in a heart-to-heart with 2022 Artist in Business Leadership Fellow, Kaylene Big Knife (Chippewa Cree), a gifted graphic designer and digital illustrator from the Chippewa Kree tribe. Kailene walks us through her artistic voyage which started on her small rural reservation in Montana, and dives into the profound influence of her Indigenous lineage on her pop art style.
Kailene introduces us to the captivating fusion of her work that merges business-based graphic design with the free-spirited charm of digital illustration. She elaborates on the necessity for modern artists to familiarize themselves with software in graphic design. We also explore the challenges of being an Indigenous artist in a rural community and Kailene's inspiring journey to present her vibrant creations to the world. With aspirations to pioneer Indigenous graphic design and leave a trail of contemporary Chippewa Kree art, Kailene's story sparks an exciting discussion about Indigenous representation in art and the power of creativity.

Collective Spirit Podcast - Kanoelani Davis (Kanaka Maoli), Multidisciplinary Artist

Transcript

I want to leave a legacy for my great, great grandchildren to look back and know that they are great, great great grandmother fought and did everything she could to preserve, to conserve, to have available for them. All the resources they need to stay in touch with who they are as Kanaka Maoli in this world.

First Peoples fund presents the Collective Spirit Podcast. The Collective Spirit Podcast. The Collective Spirit moves each of us to stand up and make a difference, to pass on ancestr