MAI'A, BANANA PLANT, by Caren Loebel-Fried, is an 11x14” limited edition fine art print from the original hand-colored block print. The materials used for this Giclée were all of the highest quality, printed on acid-free, museum quality, 100% cotton paper, using archival, pigment-based inks. Each piece is signed and numbered by the artist, backed by a white acid-free board, and packaged in a clear re-sealable art bag with a description and a certificate of authenticity on the back.
This block print was created for the book, Lono and the Magical Land Beneath the Sea, published by Bishop Museum Press. Caren discovered this legend of Lono, "Moolelo Kahiko no Kumuhonu," translated by Mary Kawena Pukui, in the Bishop Museum Archives in Honolulu. In this story, Lono, a Hawaiian fisherman, dives below the ocean waves to search for his missing fishhooks. Deep below the sea, at the foundation of the earth, Lono discovers an enchanted land filled with abundant food plants and gains the knowledge to grow them for the people of his island home.
Caren carved a series of botanical blocks depicting the original food plants of the Hawaiian people; taro (kalo), sweet potato (`uala), banana (mai`a), sugarcane (ko) and kava (`awa).
Caren learned the ancient art of block printing from her mother. She volunteers and researches on Midway Atoll, Kīlauea Point, and other wild places around the Hawaiian Islands. Caren creates art for many organizations, supporting the work they do on behalf of wildlife, conservation, and the perpetuation of Hawaiian Culture.
Caren’s award winning illustrated books include Manu, the Boy Who Loved Birds, A Perfect Day for an Albatross, Naupaka, Lono and the Magical Land Beneath the Sea, Hawaiian Legends of Dreams, Hawaiian Legends of the Guardian Spirits, Pua Polu, the Pretty Blue Hawaiian Flower, Tree of Souls, and Legend of the Gourd.