The ʻEwa Bahá’í community was honored to host weekly devotional gatherings in a unique sculptural space, the ‘Umeke Lāʻau, over a period of several months since August of this year.
The ʻUmeke Lāʻau is a massive 22-foot-wide, eight-foot-tall wooden installation created by renowned Native Hawaiian artist and educator Meleanna Aluli Meyer, in collaboration with “Team ʻUmeke”, which included Honolulu Community College carpentry students, UH Mānoa art faculty and students, and community kokua (help). The work reimagines the traditional ʻumeke—the wooden calabash bowl used to hold food, water, and sacred offerings. The project commissioned by Hawaiʻi Triennial 2025: Aloha Nō, a multi-site exhibition of contemporary art from Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, and beyond, provides a gathering space for meaningful conversations, cultural exchange, and healing through art.
A devotional gathering held inside the ʻUmeke Lāʻau.
Unlike most art pieces, the ʻUmeke Lāʻau is meant to be entered and can hold up to 30 people at a time. Visitors are asked to remove their shoes before stepping inside. Over 70 people attended the devotions hosted by the Bahá’ís while it was installed in the lobby of Kapolei Hale. The ʻUmeke Lāʻau was previously located at Honolulu Hale for three months. It has also been installed in several locations around the world.
Members of the Bahá’í community attended the closing ceremony before the ‘umeke was moved to a new temporary home in Waiʻanae Moku in November. During the closing ceremony, Ms. Meyers thanked the Bahá’ís for their steadfast support of the project and the goal of offering a spiritual haven for the community.
The artist Meleanna Aluli Meyer, who designed the ʻUmeke Lāʻau, speaks at the closing ceremony in ‘Ewa.
The ʻEwa Bahá’ís will continue to support a weekly Wednesday devotional gathering in the ʻUmeke with the neighboring Wai‘anae Bahá’í community. In January, the ʻUmeke will move to Maui.