Fiber Hawai'i 2026 Prospectus

“Fiber Hawaiʻi” began as a biennial event in 1982. The Fiber Hawaii exhibit challenges artists to create works “In, Of or About Fiber". Artists who work in any craft media are invited to consider making artwork with a fiber sensibility. Fiber and textile techniques may be thought of as an idea as well as a media. Past exhibits have included woven glass or clay, wood and metal as well as works in more traditional fiber media such as weavings, handmade paper, basketry, stitchery, quilts, batik, textile design, kapa. mixed media, wearable art and installation pieces are also eligible for entry. 

Marques Hanalei Marzan is a Hawaiian and Oceanic fibers culture bearer and contemporary visual artist born and raised in Kāne‘ohe, Hawaiʻi. His skill, knowledge, and experience is highly acknowledged within his community where he serves as a mentor and advocate, promoting sustainable gathering practices, perpetuating Hawaiian fiber techniques, and instilling indigenous values in his students. He trained under esteemed experts in Hawai‘i including master weavers, Julia Minerva Ka‘awa and Esther Kakalia Westmoreland.

Marques broadens his understanding and awareness of indigenous Oceanic perspectives through active cultural exchange. He represents Hawai‘i in major gatherings of indigenous artists, including four Festival of the Pacific Arts held in Palau, American Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Guam, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, in Washington D.C., in 2006. Through these interactions, he strengthens his commitment to his culture and champions the ideals of continuity and innovation.

As the Cultural Advisor and the Wayne Pitluck and Judith Pyle Curator for Cultural Resilience at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Marques promotes the integration of indigenous mindsets and practices within the Museum field. He assists cultural practitioners and the community with engaging ancestors and their creative expressions at the Museum and recognizes the need to legitimize indigenous voices. He shares his understanding and passion of the fiber arts through public engagements and continues to encourage and excite new conversations and viewpoints. Marques bridges the innovations of the past with those of the present, creating dialogues within his work and community engagement that speak to the vibrancy and dynamism of culture.

To learn more, visit his website.