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Irving Jenkins: Artist and Author

“Elegantly created, thoughtfully conceived, and conceptually poetic works.”

Honolulu Academy of Arts

 

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Hawaii-born artist and author Irving Jenkins, whose most recent book Lord of the Haao Rain explored the ancient history of the ruling families of Hawaii, complements his studies of Hawaiian history and art with the creation of mixed-media sculpture. Raised on Kauai and trained in painting at the University of Hawai’i, Irving Jenkins takes the shape of Hawaiian feather capes and the niho palaoa (ivory hooked-shape pendant) as his starting points.

Known to collectors around the world, his work has been exhibited in solo shows at the Honolulu Museum of Art, Ramsay Gallery, The Designers Emporium and Martin & McArthur. His scuptures were most recently on view at the Four Seasons Resort at Ko Olina and at Ward Warehouse in Honolulu. His work is in the public collections of both the Honolulu Museum of Art and the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

He hand carves his niho palaoa out of wood and crafts his cape-like shapes in masonite and then enhances the flat planes of their front and back in low relief with patterns evocative of those found on ancient kapa. He adds to their surfaces with gesso and layers of carefully brushed and rubbed acrylic paint. Zigzag and half-butterfly patterns based on the wood mends found in calabashes as well as stylized letters suggestive of text or petroglyphs appear as elegant abstract statements evocative of Hawaiian designs and symbols. At times the letters are more than patterns as they assume meaningful sequence, quoting Hawaiian sayings that date from the past but bear profound resonance today. Click to view available work by Irving Jenkins.