Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Statue (1990)
Jan Gordon Fisher
DESCRIPTION: 9-foot high cast bronze statue of Duke Kahanamoku, mounted on a 4-foot high boulder, and accompanied by a cast bronze surfboard, honorary spears, and commemorative bronze plaques
The public-facing orientation of the Duke Kahanamoku statue was initially criticized as disrespectfully turning its back on the ocean. However, officials kept its orientation in recognition of the significant benefit of facing the statue toward the public realm of Kuhio Beach Park, Kalakaua Avenue, and Waikiki.
Duke Kahanamoku's full name was Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku. Fisher's Duke Kahanamoku statue attracts thousands of visitors annually and serves as an important traditional locale for official tributes and ceremonies. The statue is regularly adorned with honorary leis (YouTube video below), and it remains the most popularly visited public artwork in Hawaii. See also: Duke Kahanamoku @ Google Arts & Culture
The public-facing orientation of the Duke Kahanamoku statue was initially criticized as disrespectfully turning its back on the ocean. However, officials kept its orientation in recognition of the significant benefit of facing the statue toward the public realm of Kuhio Beach Park, Kalakaua Avenue, and Waikiki.
Duke Kahanamoku's full name was Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku. Fisher's Duke Kahanamoku statue attracts thousands of visitors annually and serves as an important traditional locale for official tributes and ceremonies. The statue is regularly adorned with honorary leis (YouTube video below), and it remains the most popularly visited public artwork in Hawaii. See also: Duke Kahanamoku @ Google Arts & Culture
LOCATION: Kuhio Beach Park at Uluniu Avenue, Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA
LEI DRAPING CEREMONY
NEARBY PUBLIC ART IN HONOLULU
