A Hawaiian woman holding a bowl of light, with the dawn breaking on the cliffs of Pololu behind her, gazes into town from the side of the Hawi Hale building. This contemporary art honors both ancestors and current community members,
A Hawaiian woman holding a bowl of light, with the dawn breaking on the cliffs of Pololu behind her, gazes into town from the side of the Hawi Hale building. This contemporary art honors both ancestors and current community members, reminding them of the ancestral wisdom contained in the Hawaiian teaching story depicted. In the story, inherent goodness is represented by the bowl of light. When people act in anger or have a negative thought, a stone is added to the bowl. Harmony is achieved when the bowl is turned over and emptied of negativity.
Created by Mary Sky Schoolcraft, owner of the Living Arts Gallery, the painting was commissioned by the building’s owner to reflect the community and promote unity. Schoolcraft placed “Lehua” in front of Pololu, as the valley itself is a bowl of light that holds the light of dawn, as well as spiritual mana and historic heritage.
Prints of “Lehua’s Bowl of Light” are available through Living Arts Gallery, 55-3435 Akoni Pule Highway in Hawi. The gallery is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. Call 889-0739 for more information or visit livingartsgallery.net.
