Mana - The Spirit of the Land

Mention a trip to Hawaii, and one’s thoughts focus on luxury resorts, sandy beaches, deep blue ocean, and mighty volcanoes. But to the early Hawaiian people, the land was more than a scenic backdrop – it was sacred, alive with spirit and meaning. Mana, the unseen spiritual energy connecting human, natural, and divine forces, was believed to flow through every element of their environment. Mana was concentrated not only in scenes of nature’s grandest power but also among the quiet, still places. Indeed, the land has a spirit. It runs slow and deep, like the lava that flows below one’s feet. You feel it the minute you step off the plane, and your pulse slows and blood pressure drops. In this series, I aim to capture the essence of Hawaii as it might have been first witnessed by ancient Polynesians – to reveal the land’s profound spirituality beyond its vivid hues. I’ve chosen to strip away the distraction of color, to slow down to the land’s heartbeat, and to immerse myself more deeply into the quiet, intimate scenes around me. I’ve printed the images in this series using the traditional Platinum / Palladium process. Its rich tonal depth and tactile warmth reflect the sublime character of the landscape, while the timeless quality of the prints echoes the ancient soul of the land.