The 1960s-era modular, honeycomb grille of the IBM Building on Ala Moana Boulevard, designed by architect Vladimir Ossipoff, is echoed in Sig Zane’s artwork “Ka Wai a Kane (The Waters of Kane),” which graces the exterior of the new South Shore Market on neighboring Auahi Street. Both are part of the upscale Ward Village development.

Zane’s interpretation is reminiscent of the watermarks created in kapa making, binding paper bark fibers, and, therefore, symbolic of binding the growing community.

“There was once an underground spring here, so for me it’s also the perfect illustration of water flowing,” said the Hilo-based artist, who oversaw its installation, which was completed Oct. 28.

“There’s an old Hawaiian proverb that translates to ‘Let these waters flow and the lands will flourish’ that speaks of this ancestral place. Our kupuna understood that the words we speak will manifest, and the chants remind us to take care of the land and the community. It’s important for us to bring that ancestral wisdom and apply it to what we do today.”

The artwork — painted across the facade of South Shore Market — is one of 20 created by Zane and his design team, including son Kuha‘o Zane and Brandy Serikaku, to eventually grace the entire Ward Village complex. The graphics are intended to connect the area’s past and present with the addition of residential towers, restaurants and shops.

The images are based on the cultural significance of the land and are representative of salt beds that once existed here, plus kalo loi (taro patches) and kou trees that flourished on land that was home to Hawaiian alii, thanks to water that flowed from the mountains to Kewalo.

“Whenever alii chose a place to live, the land had to be good, and it had to be close to water and fishing grounds,” Zane said. “The Kamehamehas lived in this Kukuluaeo district.”

Todd Apo, vice president of community development for the Howard Hughes Corp., developers of Ward Village, said he saw firsthand the importance of visual storytelling while working at Disney’s Aulani resort in Ko Olina, where visitors were constantly asking about the stories of artworks on the property and the artists who created them.

“We’re starting to get that already,” he said. “Maybe people won’t get the whole story the first time they see it, but the goal is to pique interest as this work goes on.”