Local designers Sig and Kūhaʻo Zane unveiled a large-scale mural on an affordable housing building at 1060 Bishop Street on Wednesday.
The downtown Honolulu mural titled Kauluhakulau features Zane's iconic ʻulu print with the leaves and skin of the breadfruit.
Kūhaʻo Zane said the painting represents growth and inspiration for the building’s residents.
“The ‘Kauluhakulau’ mural includes a multitude of intents woven together with the intricacies of Hawaiian language to connect the residents of 1060 Bishop Street with this place,” Kūhaʻo Zane said in a news release. “The art, hand drawn and cut by my father Sig Zane, starts with ‘Haka,’ to create the space for flourishing growth.
“The ‘ulu,’ or breadfruit motifs are grounded in the plant’s value in canoe building and drums in addition to being a food source and symbolizes inspiration and growth,” he continued. “And ‘lau’ or numerous, brings an abundance of opportunities imbued with this space for young professionals as they grow into their careers.”
The mural took less than a week to complete — three months after the building opened its doors for incoming residents.
The 52-unit building is the first office-to-residential housing conversion under the city’s affordable housing program. It has a mix of studios, and 1- and 2-bedroom apartments for residents who earn 80% or less of the area median income.
The studios range from 281 to 391 square feet and cost $1,950 per month. The one-bedrooms range from 372 to 581 square feet and cost $2,089 per month. The two-bedrooms are 791 square feet and cost $2,506 per month.
Robert Kurisu, president of WFK Inc., said there are still units available. He also said he’s grateful to the Zanes for helping them with the mural.
“In a concrete jungle like this, we really felt that it needed something,” he said during the unveiling. “Not only to distinguish it from everything else, but really give it a new life and meaning.”
