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About
Located along the sacred shores of Kahuwai Bay, Kona Village is an iconic Big Island hideaway rooted in the legacy and mo’olelo (stories) of the native Hawaiians who came before. The resort’s collection of art and pre-existing archeological sites illuminate Hawai’i’s layered identity and are representative of the resort’s ongoing commitment to being safeguards of the island’s rich history.
Developed by Kennedy Wilson, the resort was constructed to be carefully respectful of the history that is intrinsically tied to the sacred land upon which it sits. The extra care employed throughout the development process is just one of many demonstrations of the team’s commitment to sustaining the land and its legacy. Under Rosewood Hotels & Resorts’ management, the resort has woven history and heritage throughout the guest experience.
Within the resort’s dedicated cultural center, items collected over hundreds of years will be respectfully showcased to tell the stories that have shaped Hawaiian culture and traditions. Additionally, signage has been displayed throughout the property to highlight the protected archeological sites, offering guests the opportunity to dive deeper into the legacy of Kona Village.
The property’s interiors were artfully configured by designer Nicole Hollis, who has an integral force in the property’s art program. Her team sourced works from over 60 multimedia artists – the vast majority of whom are native Hawaiians or residents today, with the goal of giving native artists a platform and highlighting Hawaiian voices. These contemporary pieces are juxtaposed with works from the original resort curated by NICOLEHOLLIS, and the result is a truly one-of-a-kind exhibition of the arts wholly inspired by the place, featuring pieces by several of the island’s most celebrated creators.
Artists
With the reImagination of the iconic Kona Village resort came the understanding that the sacred land will always be borrowed, and it should be protected along with its stories and its people. Nicole Hollis saw an opportunity to tell these stories through arts and craftsmanship, and the result is a property that serves almost as a gallery – with an assortment of works both classic and contemporary that speak to the rich history, heritage, and culture of Kaʻūpūlehu. Working closely with King Kamehameha School’s Cultural Committee, NICOLEHOLLIS’ main objective was to celebrate both old and new generations of Hawai’i’s artisan community with a meticulously thought-out group of recovered works as well as new commissions. The incredible group that has been created and showcased at Kona Village truly encapsulates the Aloha Spirit of the island and the power of how art can express the relevant stories of Hawai’i’s history.
Many of the artists whose works are displayed throughout the resort resonate with the mission of Kona Village and express the narrative of Hawaiian culture through their life’s work:
Based in Honolulu, Christopher Edwards creates sculptures that blur the line between what is natural and what is man-made. He is inspired by the geometry of the natural world and the visual language of human technology. His process involves blending different visual sources to create objects with their own logic of form. Christopher’s work greets guests in the welcome lanai, with a ceramic installation that portrays the constellation of Makali’i rising over Hualālai
Randall Shiroma is a Hawaiian sculptor who works in a terrazzo medium creating works that represent a connection to the Earth. He utilizes additive techniques similar to a ceramic artist and creates natural forms, as well as using a variety of colors to symbolize the elements – warm marble for earthy tones, as well as blues and greens to represent water. The welcome lanai’s surrounding garden holds one of Randall’s abstract terrazzo sculptures of a Piko – or a human navel – symbolizing where life begins.
Kaili Chun is a Native Hawaiian sculptor and installation artist who often constructs narratives through symbols and objects that address the impact of historical events on the present day. Organic elements are sometimes included in Kaili’s pieces, and they change over the course of an exhibition, metaphorically referencing the nature of culture as an evolutionary process. An installation created by Kaili is suspended from the vaulted ceiling of Moana, with an additional installation at Shipwreck Bar.
Raised in the Gulf Coast of Florida and living internationally in destinations such as Italy, Brazil, New Zealand, Canada, and Panama, Lynn Capell settled in Kailua-Kona with her daughter in 1999 where she became inspired to incorporate contemporary art and woodblock printing into her own work. Above the display kitchen at Moana, a sixteen-foot-long painting by Lynn illustrates the days of Kahuwai Bay before Kona Village.
Suzanne Wang is a ceramic artist based on The Big Island who explores the multicultural fabric of Hawai’i’s land and nature through her clay work. Born in Taiwan and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she moved to the Big Island in 2010, where she discovered a deep fascination with the multi-Asian melting pot that coexists with Hawaiian culture. Suzanne felt a strong connection to the land, which would in turn inspire much of her work. Through her art, Suzanne merges traditional folk-art sensibilities with contemporary inspirations as she strives to create art that communicates a story and connects viewers intimately with the world around them. Suzanne’s ceramics are placed throughout the resort, including sculptural ceramic sconces, etched using shells from the property’s seashore, that line the dining area at Moana, with additional pieces in the hale.
John Koga is based in Honolulu and ranges from small paintings to large sculptures and installations, known for an abstract modernist aesthetic. Many of his works are inspired by famed Japanese artists such as Isamu Noguchi and Tadashi Sato and convey the beauty of the natural elements and the feeling of serenity, balance, and space. Situated within the lava flow along the walk from Asaya Spa’s reception area to the treatment rooms, a multi-piece structure by John brings the concept of flowing water back to the arid expanse of lava.
Originally from Washington State and following different career paths, Nancy Vilhauer’s move to Hawai’i was the true force that made art her full-time passion. Nancy is constantly moved by the natural beauty of the islands and their people, putting her in a perpetual state of gratitude that transfers to her paintings. Several of her pieces are included throughout the hale.
Terry Field moved from Los Angeles to Kona, Hawai’i over 28 years ago, and has enjoyed being able to raise her family in such a beautiful, visually inspiring place. She gets a lot of inspiration for her paintings from her surroundings – from the island’s flora and fauna to the scenic landscapes. Several of her pieces are included throughout the hale.
Oahu-based Linda Spadaro’s abstract monoprints and paintings are an amalgamation of her emotions, the tropical environment, and the materials and techniques she utilizes. She loves how her linear, gestural strokes blend with splashes of colors and texture to create an air of freshness and spontaneity. Linda’s works can be found throughout the guest hale.
Of Native Hawaiian descent, Roen Hufford has reclaimed a nearly lost art of making Kapa cloth, a traditional fabric created by indigenous Hawaiians that uses the pounded fibers of certain barks and plants. At her organic farm in Waimea, she practices traditions that were passed down for generations in her family and creates dyes from native plants. Roen learned these practices from her mother, the well-known Lei, and Kapa maker Marie McDonald. Marie is one of the few responsible for the rise of the traditional art of Kapa-making through a cultural renaissance and now continues to keep the practices alive through her mother-daughter partnership with Roen, similar to how it would have been in ancient times. Roen’s kapa art can be found at the arrival area and at Asaya Spa.
Jamie Makasobe is the co-founder of the Native Hawaiian-infused clothing brand Kealopiko. Coming from Hawaiian ancestry, Jamie and her team celebrate what is uniquely Hawaiian through their screen printing designs. Designs encompass elements of the rich culture, from the wildlife and nature, language and traditions, the alii (royalty) and kūpuna (elders and ancestors), and mo’olelo (stories and history). Textiles were commissioned for the guest hale.
Jordan Souza’s main mission as an artist is to move away from the common representations of Hawai’i such as ocean paintings and plastic tikis to a more contemporary yet respectful approach to native Hawaiian forms. Jordan’s work incorporates ancient symbols and techniques into a fresh, abstract perspective. Commissioned wooden sculptures from Jordan can be found at Kahuwai Cookhouse and Asaya Spa.
Abigail Romanchak is a Native Hawaiian visual artist who perpetuates the Islands’ culture and perspectives on the imprint human beings and technology create on the natural environment. Through contemporary art forms, often in abstract and finely textured, multi-layered prints, Abigail explores the intricate connections between individuals and the world they live in. She believes that native cultures are jeopardized once they stop speaking to people in the present. Abigail’s works can be found in hale throughout the resort, as well as in the Asaya Spa.
Artifacts
Over seven years of development, Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort has proudly honored the duty to nurture the site, creating a tapestry of stories of past stewards who have felt so compelled to care for this special and unique environment. In close collaboration with the local community, all elements of the resort experience have been designed to respect, celebrate, and perpetuate the rich natural environmental and cultural significance of the Big Island. A myriad of artifacts from the original property was salvaged during its deconstruction, including:
The land the resort resides in is among a Petroglyph Field, being the highest-density collection of Hawaiian petroglyphs in the world. Through the historical rock carvings that date as early as the 1790s are over 100 references to crab claw sails which gives insight supporting the fact that Kona Village began as a fishing and sailing village, likely taught navigation and sailing.
The Waiokāne are the natural springs that emerge in Kahuwai Bay. The origins of these waters are of great importance to the mo’olelo (story/history) of Hawai’i. It begins with Kumukea-Kalani, the ancient chiefess of Ka‘ūpūlehu and sister of Kāne, one of the major deities of Hawaiian mythology. During a time of starvation and drought, Kāne appeared to Chiefess Kumukea-Kalani and her people where he instructed them to create an imu (underground oven). Kāne was closed into the imu, then soon at the water’s edge he rose out of a freshwater spring named “Ka Wai A Kāne.” This important tale has highlighted these life-giving springs for generations and teaches them to honor these natural resources provided by the most important gods of Hawaii culture.
Hale Kula is the remnant foundation of the former schoolhouse that served the coastal community at Kaʻūpūlehu. Additionally, these schoolhouses also served as church buildings. During the first half of the 19th century, schools operated under the guidance of traveling ministers were established throughout the scattered coastal villages. In North Kona, George P. Kaʻohonimaka, one of the famous traveling ministers who served between 1866-1889, was known for traveling via the old trails on the back of a mule. By the early 20th century, many of the coastal schoolhouses were torn down or dismantled and rebuilt in the uplands to accommodate the shifting population. Although there are no known historical photos of this hale kula, other hale kula build along the North Kona and South Kohala coast during the 19th century were typically wood-framed structures supported by a raised post and pier or stone foundation. In some instances, the exterior of the building was covered with lime mortar.
The resort’s pūnāwai (freshwater spring) is one of several treasured resources found throughout Kona Village, surrounded by a kiʻi pōhaku (petroglyph) and the rare halaʻula, a type of hala (pandanus fruit) celebrated for its brilliant red-orange hues. In 1873, Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani wrote to Queen Liliʻuokalani, in which she acknowledged the importance of the hala of Kaʻūpūlehu, along with the coconut groves and prized fishing grounds. This reverence of these resources continues today. More recently, this pūnāwai was used for washing clothes with the rock (in front of you) often utilized by wahine (women) to scrub their clothing.
The Kahua Hōlua (hōlua foundation) was the site of hōlua, a traditional sport in which riders using a very narrow papa hōlua (hōlua sled) raced down the kahua hōlua after it was made slick with a layer of oiled foliage. Riders would often slide belly-down with both hands gripping the hōlua rails, while more skilled riders would sometimes stand on their papa hōlua in a surfing-like fashion until they reached the finish line. Hōlua was a competitive sport enjoyed by all classes of people in ancient Hawai’i, from aliʻi (chief) to makaʻāinana (commoner). Although the full length of this hōlua is unknown, other hōlua in North Kona are known to be close to a mile long.
Waipunalei (a garland of pools) is the name given to the resort’s loko (pool), which was used to collect drinking water. The kanaka (people) living at Kahuwai viewed the many loko scattered throughout the resort’s landscape like flowers strung together to form a lei (garland). This metaphor acts as a reminder that the pools found in this landscape are interconnected, providing water for area residents and attracting various species of shrubs and sedges.
At Kona Village, guests will find the remnants of a Hale ‘Aina, a house used for cooking. Utilized between 1916 and 1935, the living descendants of past residents described this hale (house) as a three-sided structure made of stone, which supported a wooden frame capped with a tin roof. The use of this structure as a traditional cookhouse was the source of inspiration for the original Kahuwai Cookhouse restaurant, which was constructed on top of this traditional structure. During the 2022 renovations, construction crews and archaeologists worked carefully to dismantle the original restaurant and uncover the northeast corner of the hale ‘aina.
Loko Pa’akai (salt pans) were constructed by Hawaiians along the shores of Kaʻūpūlehu. Paʻakai (sea salt) was made by pouring kai (salt water) gathered from the ocean into the loko paʻakai. The intense Kona sun slowly evaporated the water, leaving behind a crust of salt crystals. The salt crust was carefully skimmed, then hao (scooped) out and allowed to air dry. Once sufficiently dried, the paʻakai was cleaned and carefully graded before use. Pa’akai was a crucial resource for the life of Kahuwai Villagers – whether for seasoning food, using it for healing and cleansing rituals, or using it as a trade for resources from the villages of the mountains.
For more information: rosewoodhotels.com/kona-village
