Above and Below Wool Blanket

There's nothing like an evening walk on the beach to clear your mind—the stars sparkling in the sky, the smell of the salty ocean, and the feeling of cold damp sand under your feet, reminding you that the things that ground you and give you purpose are all around you, up above and below. As an artist and traditional kapa-maker, Lehuauakea (Native Hawaiian) has created their Above and Below Wool Blanket to reflect the ancestral patterns found on kapa (barkcloth)—a non-woven textile from the beaten bark of trees that is either left plain or decorated with natural dyes and pigments. At the center of their blanket, Lehuauakea uses a pattern to symbolize the guidance offered by those who have passed on before us. Two traditional patterns known as pewa (the lines of 'dovetail' shapes) and niho manō (the triangles), surround the heart of their design, representing spiritual and ancestral protection, mending, repairing, and connection. The sides of their blanket highlights a motif honoring the