Exhibited in Art Among the Stars 2025
Nā Hōkū Woven in Thread
2025
embroidery on muslin, series of 5
10 inches diameter (1)
3 inches diameter (4)
This embroidery series celebrates the profound connections between astronomy, navigation, and cultural heritage in the Pacific Islands. Each embroidered piece highlights key symbols that reflect the rich astronomical knowledge and voyaging traditions preserved and practiced through generations.
One piece in the series features the Kūkuluokalani, the Hawaiian star compass, which serves as a guiding instrument to map journeys across the Pacific by reading the stars and their rising and setting points. This visual representation reflects the precision and skill of traditional navigators who used the sky as their map and memory.
Another piece explores Nā ʻOhana Hōkū ʻEhā, or the Four Star Families, a practical device for reading the tropical night sky developed by modern Hawaiian wayfinders. It divides ka lanipaʻa, the celestial sphere, into four divisions that run north to south, with each segment organized around a grouping of bright stars and identifiable constellations.
By weaving these stories through embroidery, the series invites viewers to appreciate and honor the profound astronomical wisdom that guided countless voyages and shaped communities across the vast Pacific Ocean. This artistic expression is based on the learnings from the Pacific Indigenous Astrophysics course taught at the University of Washington by Dr. Brittany Kamai.
Hector Delgado Diaz
Astronomy Department, 6th year Ph.D.
Héctor Delgado Díaz is a dual-title Ph.D. candidate in Astronomy and Astrobiology, studying how exoplanet properties affect their habitability. He also values community and accessibility in education where he aims to promote an inclusive environment in academia. Although new to artistic practices, embroidery and crochet have become meaningful ways for him to explore his passion for needlework art. The presented work will be his first original artistic creation without pre-made kits, and he looks forward to continue honing his skills and creativity in textile arts. (Oh and he's obsessed with Super Smash on Switch).
