Noho Makaʻala—to sit in alertness—is a work grounded in the Indigenous concept of makawalu, meaning “eight eyes” or “many perspectives.” This piece is part of an ongoing exploration of Indigenous abstraction, where perception is expanded through pattern, repetition, and layered visual codes.

Using bold geometric forms—circles, triangles, crescents—arranged in rhythmic sequences, the work activates a field of awareness that moves beyond surface vision. Each motif is a fragment of a broader system of seeing: symbolic “eyes” that reference ancestral intelligence, environmental cues, and spiritual vigilance. Textured relief elements recall the tactile processes of kapa and carving, reinforcing the sense that knowledge can be felt as much as it is seen.

The composition was developed through iterative layering of printed and painted forms. As patterns repeat and evolve across the surface, they create a visual chant—inviting the viewer into a state of deep attention. This is not passive observation, but a call to embodied perception: to notice, to interpret, and to remain accountable to the seen and unseen worlds.

Rooted in Kanaka Maoli ways of knowing, Noho Makaʻala embodies the practice of staying watchful—of holding space with clarity, responsiveness, and cultural memory.