Artist Statement 

I am a community-building Fiber Artist passionate about strengthening individuals and communities with art and an appreciation for the natural world. My work highlights our dependence on nature and restoring a relationship with the land through seasonal, land-based crafts of natural dyeing and handweaving. Growing up on the island of O’ahu, Hawai’i being surrounded by such a beautiful eco-system, shaped me and my art making and has made me very aware of my impact on the planet as well as my footprint as a weaver. My current practice is centered on creating functional works of art and site-specific installations of handwoven cloth with natural materials. By accessing my kuleana, a Hawai’ian value of responsibility to the land, it is my purpose to be a good steward and malama, a Hawai’ian idea about taking care of the earth and community. I aim for a continual practice of ethically foraging & cultivating plants from the land for dye, slowly weaving by hand on a foot-powered loom, and making with all second-hand, recycled, or scrap natural fibers. The land feeds me and my weaving and dyeing practices. This work explores connections with the land through colors derived from site-specific place for dye and connecting woven threads. 

-Noelani Jones