Emily Jung Miller Hihimanu Rain #875
Kauai artwork by Emily Jung Miller, 2021
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Acrylic on canvas
The double mountain peak at Po'oku, on Kauai's north shore, is named Hihimanu. It shares its name with the spotted eagle ray, guardian of coral reefs, as the mountain's outline looks just like a ray gliding upwards into the sky. Hihimanu translates to "magnificent".
As I worked on painting the weightless mist of rain behind Hihimanu's double peak, I felt the movement of the clouds and I realized I paint rain and cloudy days because rain is a blessing, a gift of life, a constant, beautiful, powerful flux. As it travels across the mountains and oceans, it brings us new opportunity each moment to bear witness to different aspects of the landscapes we think we know.
The Hawaiian dictionary's definition of rain ("ua") includes the following text: Rain was beloved as it preserved the land; it was called kÄhiko o ke akua, adornment of deity. Many rains are named and associated poetically with particular places.
There are over 200 known names for rain in Hawaiian.
Although I don't feel qualified to connect a known rain name to what I've painted here, I know that it does have its own name.
Artwork Dimensions (unframed): 36" x 48"
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