In Kalapana

On most days of the week you will find Julie in Kalapana at Kaimu Beach talking story about her Tapa. Hanging from lines strung across her booth hang a dozen or so pieces and draped over her truck canopy and tailgate rest a couple of large sections of her Tapa Cloth art. Between customers, I had an opportunity to spend some time with her, taking photos and shooting video, and learning about her work. She taught me some about her Country of Tonga, the culture, traditions and the art of making Tapa cloth.

Broad Tapa cloth on display.

Julie is Tongan and Hawaiian, and has carried on a family and cultural tradition that is many generations old... making Tapa cloth. The ages old process of making Tapa uses the same tools and labors as her ancestors, using no machinery and no chemicals! Everything used in the process is from the land. Julie and her Husband grow the Mulberry trees, remove the bark in strips, soak them, then she pounds each course strip of bark with a wooden mallet until the material is thinned and then pounds the strips together to make a broad Tapa cloth. The large cloths are then laid out to cure, then cut into smaller sections for further finishing. She then paints the Tapa with a brown, plant based paint in various patterns and symbols of nature, most of which are traditional patterns and symbols. Some of her Tapa are painted with Hawaiian figures like the Honu, Octopus and Dolphin.

Now, this is a very simple explanation of a very long and time consuming process. There is so much more to tell about Julie and her Tapa and I hope one day to spend some time with them working and pounding Tapa to really experience the loving labor to produce this beautiful and timeless work of art. J. Osprey

Here is a short video of Julie and her Tapa at Kalapana on the Punaverse Channel on You Tube.
http://youtu.be/1SnwKRIUrkM
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