New Kūihelani sound wall mural highlights Maui moʻolelo

A new mural on the Kūihelani Highway sound wall in Puʻunēnē was created by two Maui artists in collaboration with the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, Highways Maui District. Titled “Moʻolelo O Maui,” the 60’ wide x 9’ high artwork depicts the beloved story of Maui the demigod harnessing the sun.

Located near the Kahului Park & Ride in Puʻunēnē, the mural was designed and painted by Maui natives Bailey Onaga and Matthew Agcolicol.

In developing their concept, Onaga and Agcolicol said: “We decided on a rounded framing motif to encapsulate three solar phases. We were inspired by the sun as a natural resource for renewable energy. Rather than a traditional triptych meant to be viewed left to right, we started the story from the right section, representing the rising of the sun in the east. Haleakala, the house of the rising sun, is prominently featured.

“The central image shows the sun midday with a wiliwili tree. Maui received cords to fashion a rope to tie to the tree. We chose a subtle color palette with earth tones to evoke the warmth of sunshine and the glow of daylight.”

It took approximately three weeks for the artists to paint the 540 square foot mural; even so, there remains a substantial amount of blank space on sound wall, which measures approximately 0.63 miles long. HDOT Highways Maui District is looking to collaborate with other community groups, such as schools and youth groups, to create more murals in the future.

“We’re very pleased to have been able to work with two extremely talented, Maui born-and-raised artists to complete the first of what we hope will be multiple community-inspired murals,” said Ty Fukuroku, program manager of Environmental Management, HDOT Highways Maui District. “We’re excited about the possibility of getting some of Maui’s young people involved in the next one.”

Born and raised in Maui, Bailey Onaga is an accomplished illustrator, artist, teacher and entrepreneur. The founder of B. Miyo Art, she has contributed her talents to more than a half-dozen murals on Maui and in San Francisco.

Matthew Agcolicol is also a Maui native and artist whose paintings are often inspired by the Hawaiian Islands’ diverse and complex ecosystems. His creations have been showcased in numerous exhibitions in Hawaiʻi and California.

The Kūihelani sound wall project is the second time Onaga and Agcolicol have collaborated on a mural; they had previously teamed up to create the Papaku Hanai a Malama mural at Lihikai Elementary School.

HDOT Highways Maui District invites schools or youth groups on Maui interested in collaborating on a future mural to reach out to Ty Fukuroku at ty.h.fukuroku@hawaii.gov .