Leilani Kake

Leilani Kake

Leilani Kake is a video installation artist of Maori/Cook Island Descent. Leilani Kake acknowledges her culture and embraces it through her art, not to mention her interest in other cultures as well.

I was intrigued by Kake's piece Tino Rangatira Tanga, at first it was difficult to watch the pain her father had to go through, however, I felt it was necessary to look past the pain and realise the importance of the process. Firstly, the video shows the reactions of the people surrounding her father, they're mood seemed to be very calm and they're actions revealed were very supportive. To most people, undergoing this much pain is quiet unberrable to watch, but when you watch the film with and the people there to support him, the mood is very calm and becomes a little easier to take in whats going on. Perhaps kake tries to emphasise the importance of family and friends, how they're presence is of great value, they're presence is a source of stregnth and courage. Later on in this piece, she documents her fathers final moments. I found it extremely difficult to watch because I had a similar experience in the past, however, the atmosphere was very different. By saying this I mean the scene depicted in this piece revealed a calm and soothing mood, her father lying on the hospital bed while two young kids play a song for him. Personally I feel the song is like a departing gift for a safe voyage to the next life, or maybe a sign of respect and acknowledgement of his lifetime achivements, whatever it is, the song was very effective due to the fact that it made it easier to watch.

Another piece that I took interest in was Nga Hau E Wha - The Four Winds, Leilani's piece explores the ideas behind female cancer awareness, in our lecture with Kake, she quoted that women (of polynesian descent especially) are constantly falling victim to cancer because they refuse to get a check up. She felt the matter needed to be adressed, so she planned this project for a very long time, making calculated decisions along the way by communicating with women and gathering they're thoughts on the issues. Eventually she decided to create a video installation, the installation consisted of four projected videos of women floating on water. The women in the installation represent the four different stages of a females life which is young adulthood, adulthood, pregnancy and menapause, each of these projected in a small dark room. According to eventfinder, the nudity was very porocative, but the fact still remained that these issues had to be adressed and I felt the nudity was necessary, seeing as women cannot find the courage to undergo these procedures the piece is to inspire confidence. She commented that women need to take pride in their bodies, and not be afraid to nude. People only ever see themselves nude in two situations, one is when you shower, and the other is during sex, but, if women just take the time to look at themselves nude in the mirror, they will acknowledge their beauty.