💡 02. Introducing Noah Harders
Noah Harders is a Native Hawaiian floral artist, known best for his elaborate and intricate sculptural headpieces.
Noah Harders: About the Artist
Noah Harders was born and raised in Waikapū, Maui. He is a Native Hawaiian floral artist, known best for his elaborate and intricate sculptural headpieces. His assemblages are inspired by organic forms that populate the island of Maui, as well as techniques and materials traditionally used in Hawaiian art/craft. By doing so, Harders reflects upon his love and respect for the natural and cultural heritage that shaped his upbringing. Harders also identifies as a member of the queer community and has featured on Lei Magazine for the LGBTQ Traveler.
Associated Terms: Pasifikafuturism, Indigenous Futurism, Hawaiian Futurism
Contacts: Find Harders on the Waikapū Collective website and on his Instagram :)
Project Spotlight: Moemoeā
Moemoeā was Harders’ first solo exhibition at the Honolulu Museum of Art. It ran from 2 November, 2022 until 27 July, 2023. Moemoeā roughly translates to “fantasy” or “to dream,” which mirrors the intricate and ethereal aesthetics of Harders’ garments. Fashioned out of native flora, fauna, shells, and other natural materials, they demonstrate an almost otherworldly artistry. A number of Harders’ iconic masks were also featured in this exhibition.
Thoughts: Personal Reflections and Connections
For each of his projects, Harders includes a very in-depth description regarding his inspiration and process on Instagram. It is always very enlightening and heartwarming to see Harders actively reflect upon his own practice, paying tribute to his culture, his upbringing, and the natural world around him. For me, these captions really humanizes the artist and centers his artistic purpose via context and sincerity.
Harders also represents a thriving culture of Indigenous Futurism and Pasifikafuturism, which underscores decolonization and cultural reconnection (themes that also show up in works by Kumkum Fernando). A number of Indigenous and Pacific Islander artists have used and are beginning to use futurism as a way of reconciling with colonial pasts and empowering the cultural diaspora.
Additionally, I find it very interesting to consider Harders’ mask sculptures in conjunction with Hiroto Ikeuchi’s headgears. Both styles can be characterized as “futurist,” but their inspirations and styles are distinctly divergent. Compared to Ikeuchi’s industrial and mechanical futurism, which sources from Japanese cyberpunk aesthetics, Harders’ masks draw from the tradition of Pasifikafuturism, which highlights natural and cultural harmony as part of a sustainable/desirable future. It could be insightful to dive deeper into this comparison, examining how different cultures interpret and manifest futurist visions.
Resources and Further Readings 📖
This entry is just a simple introduction to Noah Harders and his body of work. If you are interested in exploring his process, practice, and philosophy in greater depth, I have gathered below a little index of resources that I found very informative.
- More about Harders:
- More about Moemoeā:
- Lei Magazine’s feature on Harders:
- Colossal’s article on Harders and Moemoeā:
- Talk by Native Hawaiian artist Solomon Enos on Indigenous Futurism (as hosted by 4th Space at Concordia University):
Photographs of “Two Worlds Collide,” a headpiece by Harders that was on view at his Moemoeā exhibition, as posted and described by him on Instagram ⬇️