Melissa Chimera

During the early 20th century, intricate wedding garments, such as this veil, were treasured heirlooms owned by wealthy brides. Yet these delicately handmade works were created by recent immigrants filling low-wage textile industry jobs left vacant by American citizens. Chimera’s Lebanese grandparents arrived to the United States separately through Ellis Island, married in 1908 and then moved to Massachusetts to eventually settle in New Jersey as garment tailors.

The botanical references in this piece are many, but the most prominent ones are the large blue pa‘ūohi‘iaka flower at the bottom, pua kala and hāhā at the top. The koa‘e‘kea bird appliqued onto the fabric is indigenous to the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Rooted to a region, yet in flight, they resonate with the artist’s experience as a member of the Filipina and Lebanese diaspora who simultaneously feels connected to Hawai‘i, her birthplace, and yet remains tied to very different parts of the world.