WORK
Herman Piʻikea Clark’s creative practice spans large-scale murals, paintings, drawings, mixed media, and design-based installations. Grounded in moʻolelo (oral tradition), symbolism, and the enduring relationship between people and place, his work moves fluidly across time—honoring ancestral knowledge while reimagining its relevance within contemporary cultural and social landscapes. Through each piece, Clark builds visual narratives that bridge generations, offering pathways of memory, identity, and innovation.
Makawalu, 2018 This print series uses abstract, symbolic compositions to explore layered Indigenous perception, dynamic knowledge, and ancestral frameworks within contemporary Hawaiian art.
Pilina, 2018 Pilina is a visual meditation on relationality, using layered forms and rhythmic lines to express the Hawaiian values of lōkahi and aloha, affirming the interconnectedness of people, land, ocean, and spirit across generations.
Hīhīmanu Series, 2020 This series honors the hīhīmanu (manta ray) as a sacred ocean guardian in Kanaka Maoli tradition, using visual forms to evoke its graceful movement and embody themes of protection, freedom, and ancestral guidance.
No Ka’ahupahau, 2020 The Kaʻahupahau series is a collection of acrylic paintings that visually explore the symbolic, spiritual, and ecological presence of the shark goddess Kaʻahupahau in Puʻuloa, connecting moʻolelo with contemporary art and place-based architectural inquiry.
Ala Niho, 2021 Ala Niho is a series of ten monoprints mounted on birch panels that evoke the serrated patterns of traditional shark tooth weapons as visual metaphors for strength, protection, and ancestral lineage within Hawaiian knowledge systems.
Manu Ula, 2024 Manu Ula is a mixed media series that honors the noio seabird as a symbol of excellence, foresight, and ancestral navigational wisdom, using layered materials and avian forms to evoke purposeful movement across vast, uncertain spaces.
Poʻo ʻOle, 2021 For HT22, Herman Piʻikea Clark’s Poʻo ʻOle honors his grandfather by evoking the concept of “headless” as a symbol of unbroken continuity, using ancestral forms and chiefly colors to affirm Hawaiian cultural resilience in Waikīkī’s commercialized landscape.
Na ’Aumakua, 2017 Nā ʻAumākua is a visual exploration of the Kanaka Maoli belief in ʻaumākua — ancestral guardians who return to guide and protect their descendants.
Mo’ikeha 2013, mixed media on paper This work draws inspiration from the legendary Polynesian voyager Moʻikeha, whose journeys between Hawai‘i and Tahiti embody ancestral knowledge, navigational mastery, and genealogical continuity.
COMMISIONS
As an extension of his broader practice, Herman Piʻikea Clark’s commissioned works embody the same commitment to storytelling, symbolism, and a strong sense of place. Each project is shaped through dialogue and collaboration, allowing community narratives and site-specific histories to guide the creative process. These works serve as living connections between past and present—expressions of moʻolelo that respond to place, purpose, and shared cultural values.
If you’d like to learn more about working with Herman Piʻikea Clark on a commissioned piece, please click the button below.
Mauka, 2016 Mauka is a mural at Mauna Lani Resort that honors Native Hawaiian ancestral knowledge and the sacred interdependence between upland forests, watersheds, and coastal life through layered symbolism and visual storytelling.
Na Kama a Ka’ahupahau me Kuhaimoana, 1998 Nā Kama a Kaʻahupahau me Kuhaimoana is a work that draws on the moʻolelo of guardian shark deities to explore protection, kinship, and ancestral stewardship of Hawai‘i’s ocean and natural systems through symbolic layering and Indigenous storytelling.
Na Kalaikahi Kiha, 2006-8 The custom steel grillworks at Ko ‘Olina Club Resort transform functional architecture into symbolic thresholds, weaving ancestral moʻolelo and cultural memory into contemporary space through patterns and designs that honor Oʻahu’s land, sea, and storied past.
Makawalu I, 2024 Makawalu I is a layered visual meditation on the Hawaiian concept of seeing from multiple perspectives, using rhythmic, symbolic forms and hand-press techniques to evoke ancestral presence, memory, and unfolding wisdom within a dynamic grid structure.
Imua One, 2023 In 2023, Herman Pi‘ikea Clark collaborated with Osaki Creative Group on Imua One, a Southwest Airlines aircraft livery project honoring Hawai‘i’s people and culture, helping ensure the design embodied the spirit of imua with cultural integrity, symbolism, and Native Hawaiian values.
Ka ho’i ana o Maui i ka mokupuni o na Kupuna Paiwan / the return of Maui to the island of his Paiwan ancestors Color pencil/Ink Pen Draft drawing
OWN A PIECE OR COMMISSION NEW WORK
Interested in acquiring a meaningful contemporary work—one grounded in ancestral knowledge and expressed through modern design?
Herman Piʻikea Clark welcomes inquiries from private collectors, public institutions, and commissioning bodies seeking artworks that are thoughtfully researched and culturally grounded. Each piece emerges from deep engagement with moʻolelo and site-specific narratives, offering a visual expression that bridges tradition and innovation.
Explore available works in the shop, or reach out to discuss a custom project that reflects your connection to place, story, and community.