The Power of Visual Storytelling
Hana Pua McEvilly is a Hawaiʻi-based artist whose multidisciplinary work bridges painting, kapa, digital design and animation. A graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi with a BFA in Painting 2022, she approaches each medium with the same intention — to translate feeling into form and connect present experience with ancestral wisdom.
At the heart of her practice is Hana Pua Fine Art, a body of original paintings and kapa works that reflect her soul’s purpose. Her paintings are marked by vibrant color, fluid distortion, and an emotional layering that blurs the line between dream and memory. Often figurative, her subjects melt into their surroundings, revealing a deep awareness of the relationship between humans and ʻāina (earth). Kapa, which Hana began studying under Dalani Tanahy in 2022 and Page Chang from 2024–2025, has become an essential thread in her work — a process that is both physical and spiritual, grounding her in the continuity of Hawaiian tradition while expanding its place in contemporary art.
Sustainability is an evolving core of Hana’s practice. She uses recycled and handmade materials, natural pigments, and non-toxic mediums whenever possible — taking intentional steps toward a fully eco-conscious studio. Her approach recognizes that she and her generation are paving a new path forward, one that honors the earth through mindful creation.
Whether working with paint or barkcloth, Hana’s work exists at the intersection of reverence and reinvention — each piece a continuation of story, memory, and care for the land that inspires it.
Kapa
Kapa is the traditional Hawaiian barkcloth made from the wauke plant, used for centuries in ceremony, daily life, and artistic expression. Its making is an act of rhythm and reverence — stripping, soaking, and beating the fibers until they transform into a soft, enduring fabric that carries the heartbeat of its maker. I began learning kapa in 2022 under master kapa maker Kumu Dalani Tanahy, and continued to deepen my practice with Kumu Page Chang between 2024 and 2025. Through their teachings, I came to understand kapa not just as a material, but as a living connection to my ancestors — one that bridges art, culture, and spirituality. My use of kapa in artwork is still new, but it has become a way for me to weave lineage and personal story into my creative practice and bridge past and present. Each piece is an offering — a continuation of learning, love, and respect for the craft. My hope is to further explore kapa as both medium and metaphor, expanding my knowledge while staying grounded in the traditions that have shaped it for generations.
Lets Create Together
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