Ulumau Pohaku Pele Sculpture - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, HI
Posted by: 
denben
N 19° 25.788 W 155° 15.497
5Q E 262885 N 2149939
Called Ulumau Pohaku Pele, this artwork is erected in front of the Volcano Art Center Gallery near the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park's Kilauea Visitor Center.
Waymark Code: WMR27Y
Location: Hawaii, United States
Date Posted: 05/01/2016
Views: 6
On 7 March 2007, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park unveiled a massive sculpture that pays tribute to the volcano goddess Pele, whose own monumental handiwork is evident in the Big Island's stunning landscapes and the ongoing Kilauea eruption.
The 11-foot-tall sculpture features a 7-ton lava rock that reveals an impression of Pele. The rock sits on a base of four carved 'ohi'a wood panels depicting Pele's past (her journey to Hawai'i), her present (her home at Kilauea and Mauna Loa), and her future (her new home at Kama'ehu, a submarine volcano).
The plaque reads:
Ulumau Pohaku Pele sculpture pays reverence to the sacred mountains Mauna Loa and Kilauea
This artistic piece, named Ulumau Pohaku Pele (ever-growing rock of Pele) was created in honor of this wahi kapu (sacred areas) and the goddess Pelehonuamea - the creator of these volcanic islands. According to Hawaiian tradition, you should be respectful when in the realm of Pele, for she embodies all things volcanic. Her power and presence are felt here.
Selected and blessed by our Kupuna (Hawaiian Elders), this amazing piece of art was inspired from visions, dreams, and native materials. Meticulously created and assembled by artist John Kalewa Matsushita, it fulfills the vision of the late Kupuna Emma Kauhi.
The late Emma Kauhi, a member of the park's Kupuna Consultation Committee, envisioned the sculpture in a vision: "Lava is flowing from Mauna Loa like a river. The upper part of a woman's body is visible in the lava flow- it's Pele riding down the flow, her eyes staring in anticipation, looking in the direction she's going to go. The body of Pele is not the whole body or like we think of a body. It's the upper torso only. Her hair is filling in behind her, also riding the flow, and she's looking at the ocean. The lava flow, the image of the woman, is the volcano goddess who has come to show us, the people, her power."
Title: Ulumau Pohaku Pele
Artist: John Kalewa Matsushita
Media (materials) used: Lava rock and wood
Location (specific park, transit center, library, etc.): Kilauea Visitor Center
Date of creation or placement: Unveiled March 7, 2007
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