Kaili Chun: The Native Artist as Storyteller and Steward of the Land and the Water

This Research Note proceeds from an interview with Native Hawaiian artist Kaili Chun following her presentation at the “Pacific Island Worlds: Oceanic Dis/Positions” symposium, which took place at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 2018. The conversation delved into Chun’s interactive installation practice through a discussion of three of her artworks: Veritas (2012), Hulali i ka lā (2017), and Uwē ka lani, ola ka honua (2021). Each of these pieces celebrates the importance and value of water in Native ecologies, and proposes to view Native practices of stewardship of the land as pathways towards a more sustainable future. Ultimately, the conversation draws a portrait of the Native artist as a storyteller and steward of the land.