Created from thousands of pieces of finely crafted hand cut stained glass, Kupunas Ike & Mana’o are the newest mosaics in my ongoing Ohana Series. Conceived as an individual half-faced man and an individual half-faced woman, they are intended to be hung separately, yet displayed together, which points us to the Hawaiian saying, A’ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia – No task is too great when undertaken together.

Adorned in her lei po’o of greenery, tuberose and plumeria, Ike reminds us of everyone’s favorite Tutu. The strands of gray hair and a lifetime of experience reflected in the lines on her face contradict her youthful spirit; the hint of a smile and the understanding look in her eye conveys the comforting warmth and understanding given to those who come to her seeking guidance. Wearing her Kukui nut lei and Tahitian pearls, she is the teacher of family aloha.

Representing the color of Oahu, Mana’o wears his yellow kihei, a ti leaf lei and a ti leaf lei po’o. At an early age, he was chosen to begin receiving the teachings and ancient knowledge handed down through the generations from his elders. While his gaze embodies a lifetime of strength through determination, it also expresses the compassion and aloha he holds dear, and that is desired in a patriarch and community leader.

The moon rays above Ike and the sun rays above Mana’o are symbolic of the astrological feminine moon/masculine sun energies; the undulating lines of the background glass, from cooler into warmer colors that span both mosaics, represent the interconnectedness of Ike & Mana’o.

Together they embody the generational wisdom and knowledge - Ike & Mana’o - of their ancestors.

Finished in cedar oil and sourced in Kapolei, I build my own floating frames from Japanese sugi wood, a renewable resource that is readily available throughout Hawaii. (Refer to detail for corner view of frame detail).

Ike & Manao represent 315 hours devoted to create them between  the months of July through September 2024.