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Two ceramic works, a human figure and a vase.
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Two ceramic works, a human figure and a vase.
Ceramics by Momoe Nakajima.

The sculptures of Momoe Nakajima, a 2017 bachelor of fine arts degree recipient from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of Art and Art History, will be on display at the Waikīkī Parc Hotel’s promenade gallery from June 8 to September 14.

Nakajima’s recent works include several pairs of a ceramic figure and a jar. The jar accompanies and grounds the figure while providing guidance like an ʻaumakua, a Hawaiian personal or family god. Each pair reflects its bond through matching surface designs that feature plants and flowers from Japan and Hawaiʻi. For Nakajima, they represent home, old and new, and past and present, as she continues to explore and define where she belongs.

The local artist said she is inspired by her connections to Japan and the 50th state. “As the saying goes, ‘Home is where the heart is.’ Being born in Japan, yet raised in Hawaiʻi, this sentiment holds special relevance,” said Nakajima. “The distance between me and my Japanese heritage has grown, and while at times I experienced feelings of rootlessness, I’ve come to identify Hawaiʻi as my home.”

For more information, visit the art department website.

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