CATALYST PLANET

View Original

The Ancient Hawaiian Art of Bark Cloth

Sabra Kauka finds great joy in making the past present. A cultural practitioner on Kauai, she teaches Hawaiian children the arts of their ancestors, including kapa. In this physically demanding process, bark from the wauke plant becomes clothing and blankets. Herself a student of the craft, Sabra is in awe that her ancestors created such beautiful textiles from tree bark—and she’s determined to help the next generation relearn and embrace this practice.