Choe mural Choe mural ADVERTISING Shocking destruction I had the pleasure of viewing David Choe’s mural the weekend of its making and was shocked to see it painted over at the start of the week. After reading why the mural
Choe mural
Shocking destruction
I had the pleasure of viewing David Choe’s mural the weekend of its making and was shocked to see it painted over at the start of the week. After reading why the mural was destroyed, I could understand that perhaps proper approval from the community wasn’t given. Where I take issue is in how the Kailua Village Business Improvement Committee handled its disapproval of the design.
It’s been brought to everyone’s attention that Harley-Davidson was made to feel threatened and was under the impression they made a mistake when really a couple people used their power on a local committee to make decisions on the community’s behalf without consulting the community.
The committee leaders reacted so quickly to the mural without reflecting on the situation, obviously reacting out of their own fear. We can only assume there was belief that the art would reflect poorly on the town as seen by businesses and tourists.
However, the current situation now reflects more poorly on our entire town as a whole than any damage the art could have done. After hearing of Harley’s experience, the methods of getting the mural removed seemed incredibly underhanded, perhaps in order to facilitate speed of removal. Proper channels for getting design approval or community input were completely ignored.
I loved the design and hope one day we can send the design to the proper committee for approval, which I know it will get, and Choe can receive our greatest apologies and our sincere desire to have a bit of his humble heart in our community.
Here is why I believe the design will be approved: The week before Choe painted the mural, Dana Richardson was on the cover of the Big Island Weekly in all her mermaid splendor. The mural depicted a wonderful representation of her swimming mermaids, with a tako (octopus) for hair and a tribal Hawaiian tattoo down her arm. The mermaid was carrying a Native Hawaiian iiwi bird valued long ago for its feathers used to make capes for the chiefs of Hawaii. Choe painted the iiwi as a bird-woman, straight Hawaiian legend. Behind the bird was a honu, depicted as a ninja turtle — a common theme of graphic novel art. Following the honu was Bruddah Iz and his pahu drum tied to the mermaid’s tail.
The creation was the artists interpretation of Hawaii in these times. No morbidity, no suffering. I was so happy to have some modern Hawaiian art by such a skilled artist available for all to enjoy. The fact the mural didn’t look like typical depictions of Hawaii was truly exciting and a great example of Hawaii’s evolution into new ages of art matching these modern times.
As a Native Hawaiian, I was incredibly impressed with the amount of homework Choe did to properly represent Hawaiian culture and the town he loved. It seems he did so much homework, in fact, his design went clear over the head of people who complained about it and thought “that the mural didn’t reflect the appropriate values of the village” according to Baker of Kailua Village Business Improvement District.
From an observer’s view and a concerned Kona native, the only inappropriate values I see are with our with our own Kona representatives who spoke on behalf of the town.
To represent Kona means to represent the ethics and values that the town is founded on: Our Hawaiian values of supporting each other, kindness towards all, never tearing anyone down, and loving without fear are what we stand for.
We literally tore him down. I ask our representatives to make decisions with the values of our culture in the forefront of their minds. We will always support decisions made from love rather than fear.
Kira Kamamalu Ventrella
Kona
