ST097 Waikiki Sunset

Small Treasure

 Painting size: 16cm x 23cm

 Framing size: 33cm x 42cm

 The bronze statue of Duke Kahanamoku stands on Kuhio Beach in Honolulu. With his arms outstretched, he seems to be welcoming something, and people can feel the challenges and courage he demonstrated throughout his life. Duke, a true native Hawaiian, was a hero of Hawaiian watersports, competing in the Olympics multiple times and winning three gold medals in swimming. He was also a surfer who made surfing known to the world and a master of outrigger canoeing.

 Since my workplace was in Waikiki, I would gaze at that statue and the ocean and sky stretching out behind it almost every day. The sunsets in Waikiki are intense. They fade away fiercely and quietly, as if to imprint the day's events onto your memory.

 Takayo Kawasaki's framing uses mat colors that evoke daytime rather than nighttime, and the wooden frame gives a sense of the long-standing traditions of Hawaii.