Makawalu: the discipline of seeing fully
Leadership, Vision, and Organizational Consulting grounded in story, land, and ancestral ways of knowing.
Herman Piʻikea Clark works with leaders, teams, businesses, and institutions who seek vision, clarity, and deeper understanding of purpose.
BIO
Herman Piʻikea Clark’s consulting and design practice is grounded in Makawalu, a Kanaka Maoli discipline of seeing in every direction: backward through ancestry, outward through relationship, downward through structure, and forward through possibility and care.
With over thirty years of practice spanning design, contemporary cultural creation and education, Clark brings to his work what conventional approaches leave out; the stories, relationships, and place-based understanding that shape how people and organizations truly see, recognize and then act.
He is a Professor in the Faculty of Design at OCAD University in Toronto and an internationally recognized scholar, artist, and designer whose work spans Indigenous pedagogy, visual storytelling, and place-based research across the Pacific region.
Enter the work. Listen to the stories. See with Makawalu - with eight eyes.
SELECTED PROJECTS
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![Four square paintings on a wall featuring stylized indigenous bird and leaf silhouettes with abstract backgrounds.]()
Manu Ula
2024, Mixed Media
Private Collection -
![A geometric mosaic pattern with black, white, and dark blue tiles arranged in various shapes including circles, triangles, and squares.]()
Noho Maka‘ala
2022, Acrylic on Canvas
Retailing -
![Colorful abstract drawings, each enclosed in a small square, with scribbled signatures and random scribbles at the bottom.]()
Akua Studies
2022, Mixed Media
Artist’s collection -
![Six abstract paintings with interconnected white lines on multicolored backgrounds, arranged in two rows on a gallery wall.]()
Pilina
2018, Acrylic on Canvas
Private Collection -
![Multiple framed abstract artwork pieces with geometric designs and symbols in shades of blue, red, black, and green, laid on a surface.]()
Ala Niho
2022, Relief Print Series on waxed birch ply
Retailing -
![A framed geometric abstract art piece composed of multiple panels with black and white shapes including circles, triangles, and semi-circles on a dark wall.]()
Makawalu Kapa‘ohua
2022, Relief print series on Plexi
Okukai Store, Queens Marketplace, Waikoloa, Hawaii -
![Colorful airplane with floral and tribal designs on the tarmac at night, with two other airplanes painted in Southwest Airlines' red, yellow, and blue airline colors parked nearby, and airport buildings in the background.]()
Imua One
2023, Southwest Airlines, Hawaii inspired Livery Design
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![Interior view of a building with a large, colorful mural of abstract plant and animal motifs on the wall. There is a circular seating area with a beige sectional sofa, wooden chairs, and small tables. Large windows let in natural light, and there are numerous green plants and trees inside, creating a lush, natural atmosphere.]()
Mauka
2017, Mauna Lani Auberge Resort, Mauka & Makai Mural Project
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![View through a decorative black metal balcony railing, showing a bright blue sky, a few white clouds, and lush green tropical plants.]()
Na Kalaikahi Kiha
2006, Steel Architectural Grillwork Features, Marriott Ko ‘Olina Club
Herman Piʻikea Clark works with institutions, organizations, and communities at moments where decisions carry cultural, social, and ethical weight — and where vision and clarity matter most.
LATEST NEWS
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![A person looking at and examining artwork or a map on a wall.]()
Connecting Through Practice: Projects, Writing and Engagements
This space shares ongoing projects, writing, and collaborative engagements that explore how creativity, visual storytelling, and cultural knowledge can support learning, alignment, and meaningful exchange across contexts.
The work documented here reflects long-term relationships with indigenous communities, educators, and organizations, and highlights practices grounded in responsibility, reciprocity and care. These projects demonstrate how story and creative process can open dialogue, strengthen understanding, and support ethical, cross-cultural work.
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![Gaoshi Tribe Elders,]()
Cultural Exchange project, Gaoshi Village, Taiwan
This project reflects a collaborative cultural exchange with Paiwan and Gaoshi Indigenous communities in Taiwan, grounded in shared learning, ancestral storytelling, and deep Austronesian connections. The work was shaped through Indigenous-to-Indigenous dialogue, guided by local leadership, cultural protocols and respect for place.
Beyond its visual outcomes, the project functioned as a relational practice - demonstrating how creativity, story and design can support trust-building, cross cultural understanding, and ethical engagement within complex cultural settings.
The work produced stands as both creative expression and a record of relationship, shaped through conversation, reciprocity and collective responsibility.
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![Close-up of the Ka’ahupahau proposed mural section]()
Mo’olelo ‘Ike Ki‘i: Indigenous Visual Storytelling
Mo’olelo ’Ike Kiki is an indigenous visual storytelling approach developed by Herman Pi’ikea Clark, grounded in Kanaka Maoli and Pacific epistemologies. The work explores how story, genealogy, place and relational knowledge shape understanding - using visual practice as a vehicle for understanding, learning and ethical engagement.
Originally developed within an educational setting, this approach functions beyond the classroom. It demonstrates how indigenous ways of knowing can inform how individuals, teams and organizations navigate complexity, developed shared understanding and make more grounded decisions.
At its core, Mo’olelo ‘Ike Ki’i emphasizes care, responsibility, and accountability in how people engage with story, culture and community. Visual storytelling is used not as representation, but as a method of inquiry - helping surface values, relationships and assumptions that shape action. The approach supports culturally grounded learning, reflection and alignment across diverse contexts.
