ʻOle Pau: A Mural for Uncle Gaby
Rooted in ‘Ōlelo No‘eau #2559: Pa‘a ka waha, hana ka lima [Shut the mouth; keep the hands busy. Never mind the talking; start working].
In June 2025, Maui Public Art Corps produced three large-scale murals at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College in collaboration with the County of Maui through our Hui Moʻolelo program. Each mural is grounded in a story collected from the community. These murals are not just for the public, they are by the public. Each work was designed through a collaborative process including community consultations, storytelling sessions, study of ‘Ōlelo No‘eau, and public workshops to help refine the artists' initial concepts into communally imagined artworks.
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In 2023, Uncle “Gaby” Gouveia and Pualani Enos recorded a talk-story as part of our Hui Mo‘olelo program.
Professional artists from across the globe submitted proposals to translate this story as a work of public art. Upon selection by a 2025 community panel, artist Solomon Enos entered a period of project development to infuse his proposal in Kahului history, culture and sense of place -- ultimately resulting in a freely accessible work created through community engagement. This public art project will be unveiled on June 27, 2025 on the campus of University of Hawaiʻi Maui College at 10 am. Listen to the story that has inspired this artwork: • Full Recording HERE • Excerpt HERE |
Artist Statement
This view of Kahului is a past-future, with these times held together by the pewa floating in the sky and in the hau tree. Where once there was a harbor, there will be hau again. And so too will be the water of the bay safe to taste.
Anakala Gaby is the hau tree, for he is the ‘iako that holds the community together, as he works to hand along this kuleana to the ‘opio, so they will take up the many roles needed for a steadfast wa‘a and community.
Anakala Gaby is the hau tree, for he is the ‘iako that holds the community together, as he works to hand along this kuleana to the ‘opio, so they will take up the many roles needed for a steadfast wa‘a and community.
Proposal Excerpt
The interview that had the biggest impact on me, and this was a difficult choice as I listened to them all, is with Uncle Gaby Gouveia & Pualani Enos. There is a quintessential Maui flavor of sweetness, and both deep and broad cultural immersion. From fighting chickens with boxing gloves, to Uncle Gabby being invited to play catcher by the Kepani Uncle, to the advocacy for Hawaiian language, all the bases covered, home run!
It is with deep gratitude and aloha that I present this offering to create artwork for the wider Maui community. It was wonderful to listen to every one of the oral histories in this section, and I laughed out loud as often as I was brought to tears. It gave me such a dense “kūlolo” level of understanding of Maui’s ancient and contemporary history, and of my own family as a Honolulu “Enos”.
(My idea) is to create one or more trompe l‘oeil murals, where we take a wall and paint it as if it is not there. Instead, we see approximately what would have been there 30, 40, 50 or even 500 years ago. Here I can only do an approximate concept image as there are innumerable possibilities, but just for this example, we see through a wall and into and out of a hale from a time long ago.
It is with deep gratitude and aloha that I present this offering to create artwork for the wider Maui community. It was wonderful to listen to every one of the oral histories in this section, and I laughed out loud as often as I was brought to tears. It gave me such a dense “kūlolo” level of understanding of Maui’s ancient and contemporary history, and of my own family as a Honolulu “Enos”.
(My idea) is to create one or more trompe l‘oeil murals, where we take a wall and paint it as if it is not there. Instead, we see approximately what would have been there 30, 40, 50 or even 500 years ago. Here I can only do an approximate concept image as there are innumerable possibilities, but just for this example, we see through a wall and into and out of a hale from a time long ago.
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Artist Bio: Enos' works reveal extraordinary talent with an adept ability to synthesize, articulate and shed light through a wide variety of artistic perspectives including oil/acrylic paintings, book illustrations, outdoor/public murals, Augmented Reality, mixed-media sculptures and game design. His creative process is a layered, yet versatile craft anchored to the curiosities of storytelling mixed with his own sensibilities. It is focused on equity and partnership building and holistically tailors itself to each unique context, elements and environment that presents itself.
In essence, Enos' artistic expressions contain maps to the embedded narratives centered around cultural best practices from Hawai'i's past fused with contemporary and global sciences and wisdom where the future of Hawai'i, it's people, and its resources are harmoniously woven together. By maximizing healthy, regenerative, collaborative pathways and (eco)systems we collectively support global justice, peace and sustainability |
Community Consultations & Activities
Lori Abreu & Luana Paahana Community Consultation
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Uncle Gaby Gouveia, Pualani Enos, Jocelyn Romero Demirbag and Michael Takemoto
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Sissy Lake-Farm
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On June 11, 2025, Maui Public Art Corps' Hōkū Pavao led a community engagement session in support of Solomon Enos’ mural project inspired by the moʻolelo of Uncle “Gaby” Gouveia and Pualani Enos. Rooted in kuleana—our shared responsibility to care for one another, our stories, and our ʻāina, an intimate gathering at Kahului's Maui Family YMCA brought together community members, hula dancers, and Uncle Gaby himself to reflect, move, and connect.
Uncle Gaby shared deeply personal reflections on life, legacy, and love through the story of the manjiro, a moʻolelo passed down from his father and Uncle Earl. His words opened hearts, prompting spontaneous sharing among participants—stories of healing, memory, and the quiet power of affection. Live mele and hula deepened the moment. The group danced to “Puamana” and “Koali,” performed by Uncle Gaby, and offered a surprise hula to “Mele ʻOhana” as a gift back to him—an emotional exchange that brought the room together as one ʻohana. Uncle Gaby’s grandson, Waepua, was also present, and the shared aloha lifted what had started as a difficult day into something joyful and unforgettable.
As participant Luana Paahana reflected, “That experience may change our papa and individual’s lives. The lessons on life and ʻohana and the hug touched me deeply and many others, for sure.”
This gathering served as a powerful reminder that kuleana is not just duty—it is listening, dancing, remembering, and loving. It is healing through story.
View a reflection of this experience recorded on June 24 HERE.
Uncle Gaby shared deeply personal reflections on life, legacy, and love through the story of the manjiro, a moʻolelo passed down from his father and Uncle Earl. His words opened hearts, prompting spontaneous sharing among participants—stories of healing, memory, and the quiet power of affection. Live mele and hula deepened the moment. The group danced to “Puamana” and “Koali,” performed by Uncle Gaby, and offered a surprise hula to “Mele ʻOhana” as a gift back to him—an emotional exchange that brought the room together as one ʻohana. Uncle Gaby’s grandson, Waepua, was also present, and the shared aloha lifted what had started as a difficult day into something joyful and unforgettable.
As participant Luana Paahana reflected, “That experience may change our papa and individual’s lives. The lessons on life and ʻohana and the hug touched me deeply and many others, for sure.”
This gathering served as a powerful reminder that kuleana is not just duty—it is listening, dancing, remembering, and loving. It is healing through story.
View a reflection of this experience recorded on June 24 HERE.
Mural Site
Solomon @ Ka’a Ike Building; Jay @ Kupaa Building; SEVEN @ Pilina Building
Project Timeline
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Concept Development
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Initial concept submitted with Solomon's proposal on 3/31/25.
(My idea) is to create one or more trompe l‘oeil murals, where we take a wall and paint it as if it is not there. Instead, we see approximately what would have been there 30, 40, 50 or even 500 years ago. Here I can only do an approximate concept image as there are innumerable possibilities, but just for this example, we see through a wall and into and out of a hale from a time long ago. |
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Revised concept submitted for preliminary review on 5/13/25. Note that the composition is now divided into 6 sections to suit the assigned wall for Solomon's mural (Ka’a Ike).
The idea almost has a kind of book-shelf format, which is the connotation of all our lives being one on-going epic story. This is a metaphorical series of stories, and “stories” in the sense of a building, of Maui’s history through the heart and eyes of Anakala Gaby. To this end and at this stage, it needs to be a relatively blank “page”. Here we see an illusion, as if the roof above has opened up, creating a kind of courtyard open to the sky within the building. In this courtyard, with a hint of Maurice Sendak and more so Jean Charlot in aesthetic, and absolutely lots of yours truly, we see two trees, each framed by the middle divider. Climbing those trees are the folks from Anakala`s mo`olelo, and a few from the near future, and a few from the deep past. The higher you go, the further up into the past, and the folks in the artwork are helping each outer up, joyfully and with a kind of calm enthusiasm. Some folks are in conversation with each other, and at least one person is welcoming the viewer to climb on up!:) |
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June 5 revision: Here is the current draft ready for review. Note that I brought the second hand back, and put ka mahina there to represent Anakala Gabby’s father. I also turned the pewa into wood:) |
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June 15 revision: Here is a revised edit, with just a single Hau to create a more dynamic feel through asymmetry, balanced by the sweep of clouds going in the opposite direction. It’s has been so windy and bringing in more of the sky seems vital for this piece. I remember Anakala talking about the other side of the bay where they used to swim before it was taken over by the harbour, so we see out across the bay from this historic location, and see the present day Kahului. I want to add more sea birds in the sky, as well as Anakala walking with his father on the beach under the daytime moon above, and I put the buoy back behind the wa‘a as it is less significant.
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