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April 10, 2025

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THREE HISTORIC HAWAI‘I PAINTINGS GO ON VIEW AT HoMA APRIL 16

The generous loans mean greater access for public to see works that are significant to Hawai‘i history

HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I—Starting April 16 for a limited time, the Honolulu Museum of Art invites visitors to view three exceptional 19th-century paintings—works of deep cultural and historical importance to Hawai‘i that are rarely accessible to the public.

Two of the paintings are by British court painter John Hayter, one of Governor of O‘ahu Boki and his wife Liliha, and another of Queen Kamāmalu, and Joseph Nāwahi’s landscape of Hilo Bay, famous for its 2006 appearance on Antiques Roadshow after it was “discovered” in an antique shop on Hawai‘i Island.

“The Honolulu Museum of Art is honored to share this historic art with a wider audience,” said Catherine Whitney, HoMA’s director of curatorial affairs. “These significant works will enhance the stories we are telling in our galleries.”

The works, usually displayed at Kamehameha Schools' Kapālama campus, are being loaned to HoMA to accommodate renovations scheduled for the next two years.

The iconic oil painting Boki, Governor of O‘ahu of the Sandwich Islands, and his wife Liliha, by John Hayter, will hang in the museum’s Portrait Gallery. The painting was done in 1824 in London, when the couple were part of King Kamehameha II’s delegation. The king and queen contracted measles and died while in Britain, leaving Boki to lead the delegation home. The portrait has an interesting history. It was considered “lost” until John Dominis Holt hired someone to track it down. The painting was found in a collection in Scotland, and Holt purchased it then donated the work to Kamehameha Schools. While the Midkiff Learning Center was being constructed, the painting was on view at HoMA from May to June 1976.

A second painting by Hayter, Queen Kamāmalu, Consort of Kamehameha II, and Nāwahi’s landscape will be on view in the John Dominis and Patches Damon Holt Gallery of the Arts of Hawai‘i.

It is also not the first time the Nāwahi painting has been on loan to HoMA. Bruce and Jackie Mahi Erickson bought the work at an antique shop on Hawai‘i Island in 1984. They were aware the painting was by Joseph Nāwahi, but only learned of the artist’s many accomplishments—as a lawyer, journalist, legislator, and artist after doing research in the state archives. Nāwahi was the first Native Hawaiian to paint in a Western style. In 2006, Jackie had the painting appraised on the TV series Antiques Roadshow when it was in town. She and her husband donated the rare work to Kamehameha Schools, her alma mater. From 2007 to 2009, the painting was on view at HoMA while the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Heritage Center was being built. 

High-res images available on request.

John Hayter (British, 1800–1895). "Boki, Governor of Oʻahu of the Sandwich Islands, and his wife Liliha," 1824. Oil on canvas. On generous temporary loan from Kamehameha Schools (L.2024-26-01). 

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About the Honolulu Museum of Art

HoMA is a gathering place where art, education and community converge in two iconic buildings in the heart of Honolulu. Presenting its remarkable collection and innovative exhibitions in the galleries, screening the best in new cinema in the city’s last remaining art house and offering a full curriculum of studio classes, HoMA is a vital part of Hawai‘i’s cultural landscape that is accessible to all.

The museum inspires and uplifts the community through transformative art experiences that celebrate creativity, cultivate wonder, foster empathy and enhance knowledge in order to deepen our connections with one another and the world we share.

For more information, visit www.honolulumuseum.org.

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