Resting in Muʻumuʻu
Painting Series by Ezgi Iraz
Resting in Muʻumuʻu is an ongoing acrylic painting series by multidisciplinary artist Ezgi Iraz, centered on women who have historically carried the invisible weight of labor, expectation, and cultural preservation.
Ezgi remembers her mother, a teacher, always busy—at work or at home. She and her sisters inherited this restless pattern, realizing that constant labor was expected of women of color, who were often cast as maids, babysitters, and cleaners. Even when they were free to work outside the home, the labor at home still fell on them.
Through acrylic paintings, Ezgi explores themes of rest, femininity, and cultural identity. The series is inspired by the quiet beauty and flowing presence of the muʻumuʻu—a garment that embodies both comfort and cultural depth—and by the concept of the “eternal now” described by philosopher Alan Watts.
With layered brushstrokes and soft, contemplative tones, Ezgi portrays women at rest, holding space for both cultural memory and personal serenity. Each work imagines a domestic interior where women of color, particularly Native and Asian women, are invited to pause, breathe, and simply be.
These are not passive scenes but visual acts of resistance—reframing rest as something sacred, radical, and deeply human.
““For me, these paintings are not only portraits but acts of cultural weaving. By placing Persian tea tables beside Hawaiian motifs, by allowing women to rest in full dignity, I am imagining a world where heritage and healing can exist side by side.””
Personal and symbolic objects appear throughout the series: a carved tea table, a patterned rug, or an ornamental vase inspired by Hawaiʻi’s Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art.
These details weave together elements of my Persian, Turkish, and Central Asian heritage with Hawaiian motifs. Together, they create a cross-cultural dialogue about belonging, legacy, and diasporic identity.
Some compositions include a tutu and granddaughter, or the quiet companionship of a pet. Each evokes gestures of intergenerational care and intimacy.
The series began with 11x14” canvases and is now expanding into larger-scale works that invite deeper immersion into these intimate worlds.
For this collection, we plan to offer both original acrylic paintings and limited-edition prints. Each piece is meant to carry the essence of stillness and connection, inviting collectors to bring that sense of grounding and grace into their own spaces.
Origins of the Project
The Resting in Muʻumuʻu series began with Ezgi Iraz’s ink illustration of Marion, the founder of the Muʻumuʻu Library. This portrait led to a commissioned watercolor painting for Kalani Peʻa, the Grammy Award–winning Hawaiian musician, created in honor of his original song dedicated to King Kamehameha III (Kauikeaouli).
These experiences laid the foundation for Ezgi’s current work, where she weaves her Turkish, Persian, and Central Asian heritage with Hawaiian culture. In Resting in Muʻumuʻu, this dialogue evolves into a feminist meditation on rest, resilience, and the lives of women of color..
