Melissa Chimera

This installation grapples with environmental catastrophes caused by empire and extraction through the story of native seeds, mulch, cow bones, deer and goat skulls and antlers. This work references the impact of invasive hoofed animals brought to Hawaiʻi in 1778, which have disrupted native ecosystems and supported subsistence hunting in the present. The title of the work alludes to Haumea, Hawaiian goddess of earth and fertility, symbolizing radical renewal of the earth, while the display of water, seeds, and vegetation signifies nature’s cycle of creation. The translated text reads, “The land is chief, the man (or person) is the servant.” This work suggests the transformative potential for people and ‘āina and encourages viewers to reflect on how healing can emerge through reimagining our fractured human experience.