The Hawai‘i Convention Center, managed by ASM Global, has transformed its ground-floor Kahakai Lobby and escalator area with the installation of two new e-bars and a permanent artwork collection featuring the work of artists from O‘ahu and Kaua‘i.
The e-bars feature seating with individual power and USB ports and counterspace for mobile devices. The Center worked with artists JT Ojerio of Aloha De Mele and Lloyd Boards to select artwork that would enhance the look and feel of the spaces.
There are three stand-alone custom installations by Ojerio: Two lei renderings above the e-bar behind the Lobby escalators. A hand-shaped koa surfboard by Lloyd Boards hangs above the e-bar near the Center’s Kahakai Dr. entrance. Additional artwork by Ojerio – a painting of loulu palms – is featured as a backdrop for the board, providing continuity to the installations.
Across from this e-bar is a 6-foot by 20-foot wall mural featuring Native Hawaiian model Penina Vaimaona wearing a lei po‘o by Cheka Diaz of Kahihae Floral.
“This artwork showcases the talents of our local artists to guests from around the world, while brightening these new workspaces with a fresh and modern feel. The Center strives to promote Hawai‘i’s culture to our guests through our wide selection of artwork,” said Teri Orton, General Manager of the Hawai‘i Convention Center. “The e-bars are part of our ongoing efforts to enhance shared spaces in the Center, providing easy access to value-added amenities for our guests.”
“I hope that guests at the Center find these pieces beautiful and welcoming and also reflective of what Hawai‘i is,” Ojerio said. “My artwork is often described as simplistic and bold, with just one subject – to me, that is Hawai‘i, simple and beautiful, but also bold and strong with its people and its culture.”
Koa Alaia (8’4″ Hawaiian Koa Surfboard) by Lloyd Boards
A hand-shaped koa surfboard by Lloyd Boards hangs above the e-bar near the Center’s Kahakai Dr. entrance. Additional artwork by Ojerio – a painting of loulu palms – is featured as a backdrop for the board, providing continuity to the installations.
Inspired by the surfboard used by Duke Kahanamoku, this solid Hawaiian Koa board was locally grown and harvested off the cliffs of Polihale. Solar dried and hand shaped in Anahola.
An alaia surfboard is a traditional Hawaiian surfboard made from wood. It is a thin, narrow board with no fins or any other type of attachments. The surfboard shape is made with a pulled in nose similar to the boards surfed during Duke’s era. This board is a reminder of the presence, beauty and reverence that these boards embody.
E-Bar Lei Renderings by Aloha de Mele
Pakalana by Aloha de Mele
Pakalana is a small yellow-green blossom that is a seasonal favorite in Hawai‘i. Also called “Chinese violet”, this small elegant flower has a beautiful citrusy fragrance. Pakalana only grows seasonally and is usually in bloom from April through September.
Lei Puakenikeni
The Puakenikeni flower is known for its sweet fragrance, beauty and stunning color change throughout its phases of life.
Puakenikeni means “10 cent flower” and got its name many years ago when lei makers would sell the Puakenikeni lei for 10 cents. Pua means “flower” and “kenikeni” meaning “10 cents.”
Puakenikeni is not indigenous to Hawai’i. it is believed that the flower arrived in Hawai’i around the late 1800s and grew in popularity a few decades later in the 1920s.
The color of the Puakenikeni changes during its lifespan. On the first day, it blooms white, the second day it becomes more yellow and by the third day the flower is a creamy orange color. The flower maintains its fragrance the entire time.
The Hawai‘i Convention Center is home to a permanent art collection in partnership with the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and its Art in Public Places program. It also hosts rotating collections in displays throughout the building.
In February 2023, the Center completed the installation of two new Hawaiian cultural exhibits on its third floor – the Pūali‘ahu Feather Cape Exhibit available to the public for two years, and a new permanent display exploring The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu.
