Nānākuli’s new sculpture celebrates Māui’s legendary fishhook

A new gem has found its home at Nānākuli Public Library—a sculpture that pays homage to the legendary fishhook of Polynesian culture figure Māui.

Crafted from stainless steel and cast glass, “Mānaiakalani” tells a story that glimmers both day and night. The sculptures flat surfaces showcase the golden stars in the constellation Mānaiakalani, setting into the multi-hued blue waters of the coast of Nānakuli. At the top of the hook is the constellation Hina ia ʻeleʻele, representing the feminine counterpart to Māui and his perpetual pursuit of her through the sky. The sculpture is lit from within, allowing the glass to illuminate the story day and night.

By day, the fishhook reminds us of the lore of the creation of the Hawaiian Islands. When fishing with his brothers, Māui’s hook instead pulls up the seafloor above the ocean’s surface. The line then breaks and leaves the islands exposed. By night, Māui’s hook can be seen in the sky as the constellation Mānaiakalani, as it leads the Milky Way across the sky and sets each summer in the waters off the coast of Nānākuli, on the west side of Oʻahu.

The sculpture was created by Scott Norwood Fitzel, an artist of Hawaiian descent raised in Huntington Beach, Calif. He discovered glassblowing at a community college, a positive and synergystic extension of his attraction to the ocean. His love for surfing brought him to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he continued to study glassblowing, and received a BFA. Fitzel has been creating artwork ever since.

The “Mānaiakalani” sculpture by Fitzel was dedicated at Nānākuli Public Library in Waiʻanae on Saturday, Sept. 21. Speakers included Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, Sen. Cross Makani Crabbe, and City & County of Honolulu Neighborhood Board No. 36 Chair Samantha Decorte.