I'm Kailani Mahina Taumalolo aka Kailani Mahina - Senior Research Fellow in Pacific Arts & Cultural Heritage at Bishop Museum & University of Hawaii Pacific Studies Institute

I am Kailani Mahina (b. 1978, Hawaii), PhD anthropologist in Polynesian arts. Senior Fellow at Bishop Museum, curating exhibits & sharing award-winning insights.

Educate:

• PhD in Cultural Anthropology, University of California Berkeley (2008)
• MA in Pacific Islander Studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa (2004)
• BA in Art History, Auckland University, New Zealand (2001)

Knows About:

Traditional Polynesian art forms, tapa cloth making, wood carving traditions, cultural preservation methods, museum curation, Pacific Islander diaspora communities, contemporary Pacific art movements, indigenous knowledge systems

Awards

• Pacific Arts Association Excellence Award (2020)
• National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship (2018)
• Bishop Museum Research Excellence Medal (2016)
• UNESCO Cultural Heritage Preservation Recognition (2014)