Street art meets chic shopping as Ala Moana Center continues to roll out new attractions.
Two mural installations feature Kamehameha butterfly wings and the word “Aloha” with the “l” missing so that people can pose for photos standing in place of the letter. Both murals were painted over a two-day period last week by 808 Urban artists John “Prime” Hina and Laetitia Mahoney. They can be seen on Mall Level 2’s Mauka Wing (the former Nordstrom Wing).
Hina and Mahoney were hard at work Tuesday and Wednesday with respirator masks and nearly 90 cans of spray paint as a crowd of spectators watched the project come to life. Hina, 46, is the founder of 808 Urban, a nonprofit organization combining Hawaii-themed urban art programs and mentoring of local teens.
“I never imagined any of my artwork being in Ala Moana because we’re on the streets, that’s where we operate, so to have this opportunity to collaborate with Ala Moana is great,” Hina said. “Ala Moana came up with these designs, but they didn’t know how to execute it in street art, so that’s where we come in.”
Since its start nearly 10 years ago in Hina’s backyard, 808 Urban has offered more than 300 free art workshops and created at least 150 mural projects throughout the state.
Mahoney, 19, has been one of Hina’s students for the past five years. She painted her first mural with 808 Urban when she was just 14 near the bus stop on the corner of Liliuokalani and Kuhio avenues in Waikiki, and has worked with Hina and other students on numerous projects.
Painting at Ala Moana doesn’t feel much different from other locations where she’s done art, Mahoney said, but she’s excited that a new type of crowd is being exposed to their artwork.
“It’s good to see other faces come through, like the Japanese tourists, to see the art and want to take pictures with it,” she said.
The shopping mall is sponsoring a photo contest in connection with the murals.
Customers can enter for a chance to win a $50 Ala Moana gift card by taking a photo of one of the artworks and posting it to Instagram using the hashtag #MaukaMural and tagging @AlaMoanaCenter.
There is no confirmed date when the murals will be removed, but Hina said he isn’t bothered by the prospect.
“It’s street art, so we don’t have an attachment to it,” he said. “It’s meant to be temporary.”