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To make tapa (bark cloth), women work together to pound the bark of the mulberry tree until it becomes a paper-like fabric.

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I have been using ngatu (unpainted tapa made in Tonga) as a substrate since the 1980s.
 

I draw and paint directly with ink, dye and paint. The colors are absorbed within the fibrous structure of the cloth. I also use shibori resist techniques where folding, clamping, and stitching allow the cloth to accept or resist the colors.

Kaanapali, 2017, 23"h x 40"w, tapa, sumi ink.

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