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Artist pays homage
By Gary T. Kubota
to Molokai’s past
Star-BulletinWAILUKU -- Drawing from oral histories passed from one generation of residents to the next, artist Phillip Sabado has completed six state-commissioned paintings about Molokai's past.
The major work -- a mural titled "Molokai Nui A Hina" -- focuses on native Hawaiian culture, including legends and myths about the Mother Earth goddess Hina.
The mural and five other paintings, commissioned for $50,000 by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the state Department of Education, will be unveiled on May 16 at Kaunakakai School.
The mural is to be installed on a cafetorium wall near the ceiling, and the paintings -- depicting immigrant couples -- in the library.
"It's beautiful," said Paul Sakai, the education department's Art in Public Places coordinator.
"It was especially nice because he (Sabado) grew up on Molokai. He wanted to really depict what was true and beautiful about Molokai."
Sabado said he received help from Kaunakakai students who conducted oral history interviews with their relatives to find out what various ethnic groups brought to the Hawaiian Islands.
Sabado himself interviewed some kupuna and also kumu hula John Ka'imikaua, who helped him understand the myths and legends.
According to Hawaiian genealogical chants, with the sky father Wakea, the goddess Hina gave birth to Molokai.
Hina is depicted in the middle of the Sabado's mural observing a gathering of kahuna priests.
Along the lower portion of the mural are fish migrating from the western to eastern shores of the island.
Watching the island are the guardians, or aumakua, of Hawaiian families on Molokai, including the shark, owl and turtle.
The mural includes a heiau where, according to oral history, kahuna priests buried idols of native deities at a heiau on Molokai before the Christian queen Kaahumanu could burn them.
Sabado said the project gave him the opportunity to express his appreciation for the island of his youth.
"To me, it represents this spirituality of Molokai. You feel how powerful an island it is," Sabado said.
"I felt really privileged to do this project -- to be able to represent the island you came from, to have art work like this nurture the kids in the future."
