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Naga

I guess I have a weird sense of humor because one day I decided to design an “aloha” print of a snake knowing full well there are no snakes in Hawaiʻi. In fact most people I know there are inordinately afraid of snakes. I was interested in turning something as culturally maligned as the snake into something attractive. I was inspired by the idea of a garment bearing a protective pattern, a concept found in many cultures. As I worked I kept thinking of the ouroboros—that primordial symbol of a snake devouring its own tail. The ouroboros has a long mystical history, spanning Ancient Egypt to Renaissance Europe and appearing on everything from amulets to alchemical manuscripts.The nagas, after which this print is named, are potent serpent beings found in East Asian myths. While some nagas are threatening, others are quite beneficent and protective. To create the drawing for the pattern, I referred to 19th century illustrations to give it some visual gravitas. I actually began with Ben Franklin’s  “Join, or Die” illustration, the first American political cartoon.