Seven graphic design students from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Department of Art and Art History were commissioned to create a 120 x 9 foot tall mural for Ka Makana Aliʻi, a new shopping mall in Kapolei.

The project, which was completed in less than three weeks, was a collaboration of the seven art students under the guidance of Associate Professor Chae Ho Lee as part of ART 465. The theme of the mural is “makai to mauka (ocean to mountains)” and illustrates the islands with the following pairs of images: ocean and sealife, sea and shore, town and country, mountains and forests, streams and loʻi fields, fauna and flora and sun and plantation.

The mural was commissioned to help brand the mall and is located near the California Pizza Kitchen restaurant and the movie theaters. The mural will be available for viewing for a few months while construction on the mall continues.

Stephanie Lake and Platform Hawaiʻi provided invaluable help in commissioning the student artwork and installation of the mural.

The student artists

Briana Wagstaff

One of the first things people think about Hawaiʻi is the vast array of sea life that exists in the Pacific ocean. The most popular activity for newcomers to the islands is to go snorkeling; However, it is also a favorite past time for many locals. Spearfishing has been a part of Hawaiian and local culture for many generations. In my piece for the mural I wanted to emphasize the many types of fish a diver would encounter in the ocean (ahi, uhu and uʻu) while also bringing in popular fish commonly seen while snorkeling (humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, puffer fish and a turtle). I wanted this section to feel like the viewer is taking a look into the life of our ocean here in Hawaiʻi.

Shelly Amine

The ocean and our beaches have always been of great significance to Hawaiʻi and play a major role in the lives of the people living in these islands. I wanted to capture the beauty and power of the ocean and depict the significance of surfing, paddling and sailing in Hawaiʻi. Hawaiians have traveled great distances using the stars as key tools in Polynesian way finding. The illustrations celebrate a legacy of discovery.

Brye Kobayashi

The concept for my section of the mural is the convergence of urban living and the natural landscape. Drawing inspiration from Oʻahu’s current and future urban city life, the illustrations feature a monorail weaving through the buildings and lettering, as well as people enjoying activities such as shopping and hiking in the mountains. The city integrates seamlessly from makai to mauka, symbolizing Hawaiʻi’s unique relationship between man and nature.

Lauren Tabor

This section of the mural was inspired by Oʻahu’s mountain ranges and the variety of plants which exist in this landscape, as well as plants that are indigenous to Oʻahu. Ti leaf motifs were incorporated throughout the illustration and are symbolic of good luck and prosperity in Hawaiʻi. The addition of ti leaves was also inspired by the ti leaves featured in the Ka Makana Aliʻi logo. A waterfall motif was also integrated, representing both the various waterfalls tucked between Oʻahu’s Koʻolau mountain range, and the Hawaiian culture’s spiritual connection with water as a finite resource. This section of the mural captures a part of Oʻahu focused primarily on the environment and its elements.

Shiho Aoki

An abundance of taro is farmed through a system called the loʻi. The loʻi consists of a stream of water that is very crucial to growing taro, as it grows and is split throughout the fields. Taro is a staple food in Hawaiʻi and Hawaiians believe that the human race descended from it. In this illustration, water streams down from the mountains to the taro patch, nurturing a healthy crop ready to be harvested and made into poi. The hand is a representation of Lono the Hawaiian god associated with fertility, agriculture, rainfall, music and peace.

Kelsey Kabazawa

Out of all 50 states, Hawaiʻi has the highest number of endangered species. Much of the endangered fauna are birds, which is what this panel features: the nene goose and ʻiʻiwi bird. They are accompanied by native ʻōhiʻa lehua tree branches and flowers. A hibiscus is representative of Hawaiʻi, as it is the official state flower, and the pistil, the female reproductive part of the flower, is representative of a source for life.

Adrian Luna

My portion of the mural is dedicated to the sun. Kapolei sits on what was previously sugarcane and pineapple plantation land. With this in mind, I wanted to show the importance of the sun in the production of these crops. I also included a tribute to the demigod Maui, who was known to lasso the sun to slow down the day so that Hawaiians would have longer days to grow food and enjoy their lives.