Fairmont Kea Lani Announces New Artist In Residence

The Fairmont Kea Lani announced an artist collaboration with renowned sculptor Dale Zarrella.

The hotel’s Artist in Residence program with Zarrella includes a living gallery of his life-size sculptures in the resort’s lobby and public areas. Guests may observe Zarrella live sculpting the latest pieces in his collection alongside the coastal path fronting the resort.

Each Wednesday at 6 p.m., Zarrella leads an art tour “A Night of Art, Culture and Chocolate” during which he shares island myths and legends portrayed through his sculpture collection. He also enlightens guests to his experiences securing the rare Hawaiian woods and bronze he uses to create each masterpiece.

“We are delighted to welcome Dale Zarrella into our ‘ohana. It is a privilege to be able to incorporate his larger-than-life island-inspired sculptures as part of the guest experience at Fairmont Kea Lani,” said Michael Pye, Fairmont Kea Lani’s General Manager. “Dale is recognized and respected for his work depicting historical figures in Hawaiian culture as well as nautical scenes of the abundant marine life of the Hawaiian Islands. He passionately shares the stories of his extraordinary sculptures with visitors from around the world. We are thrilled to continue to perpetuate the island’s cultural heritage in this unique artist collaboration,” said Pye.

Beginning his pursuit as an artist when he was a child, Zarrella moved to Hawai’i as a young adult over 30 years ago. Awe-struck by the variety of hardwoods and natural inspirations that existed in Hawai’i, Zarrella made the islands his home and fully immersed himself in perpetuating the cultural heritage. He actively engages with cultural practitioners and has created a large collection of sculptures reflecting monarchs, demigods, and significant figures from Hawaiʻi’s illustrious past.

During the summer of 2018, Master artist and sculptor Dale Zarrella was commissioned by Fairmont Kea Lani to create a sculpture of Hawai’i’s revered monarch Queen Liliʻuokalani.

Dale’s most notable works include four sculptures commissioned for Pope Benedict and Pope Francis at the Vatican in Rome.