Sacred sites inspire compelling charcoal drawings

By Victoria Gail-White
Advertiser Art Critic

•	Wahi Pana — Sacred Places — Kaho'olawe, O'ahu Linda Kane Hawai'i Pacific University Art Gallery Through Jan. 23

In preparation for creating the dozen works on display, Kane conducted extensive research into archaeological sites on the Islands, hiking the terrain, photographing and sketching.

But the work is not strictly representational. "You wouldn't actually see this image if you went to this site," says Kane. "It's been internalized."

Kane has won many prestigious awards for her work including works that have been collected by the Honolulu Academy of Arts and the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

The sheer size of these black-and-white drawings (42 inches by 62 inches) is compelling, but Kane's hatching and mark-making techniques and thoughtful compositions also command our attention. They infuse the work with a sense of strength of purpose and significance.

The soft focus in "Ka wao kele 'o Wa'ahila" (Wa'ahila upland forest) suggests a morning mist, while the light beaming through the trees and down the pathway opens a way for us to walk. This particular drawing transcends the paper it is on. It is exquisite.

"These magical places are here," says Kane. "Hopefully, these drawings will keep people in touch with these sacred places so we don't lose them. In Europe, sacred places are national treasures."