Island Treasures: Ipu Kane Gallery

Artist Michael Harburg carves and dyes gourds in the Ni‘ihau technique, an ancient art that had died out until Doctor Bruce Kaimiloa Chrisman, a local dermatologist, rediscovered how to do it. Michael read an article about Bruce and became curious about the technique. He decided he had to try it himself.

After 10 successful years showing his work in his former gallery, Ipu Hale, which was in Hōlualoa, he now owns Ipu Kane Gallery in Hawi, which is filled with gourds of all shapes and sizes, bearing many different intricate designs.

Michael explains the process of his art. Throughout the world people have decorated dry gourds. The following technique is done on a green gourd that has recently matured.

“[You] engrave it skin-deep and scrape all around the outline of your picture. You open up the gourd and fill it with dye for about three weeks. The interior of the gourd rots away and all the seeds and pulp will come out then. By capillary action it pulls the dye from the interior of the gourd to the outside of the shell. Afterwards, you scrape off the skin of the gourd, and the dye will be left underneath it,” Michael explains.

Since there weren’t other artists to learn from, Michael had to develop his own techniques and has since taught others. For example, he used instant coffee as a brown dye. He has also figured out other methods to increase creativity in the process. For example, he now has a way to use multiple colors by localizing dyes on the inside of the gourd. Plus, he discovered that by maneuvering the way he initially scrapes the design, he can create shading to make more intricate pictures.

His designs range from what he calls “Hawaiian pretty” (turtles, Hawaiian species, prints that look like iconic Hawaiian images), to more traditional pictures that are reminiscent of petroglyphs or Hawaiian tribal prints.

For a beautiful gift for family or friends, stop by Ipu Kane Gallery.

Ipu Kane Gallery

55-3435 Akoni Puli Hwy, Hawi
808.884.5313
email