Through a seven-year development process that brought together the collective insights of architects, designers, artisans, craftsmen, environmentalists, engineers, and local cultural and community leaders, Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort, demonstrates the profound beauty that can be found in balancing the past, present and future.
Join Kaili Chun, a native Hawaiian artist, as she highlights her craft and inspiration for Peʻa in Moana and ʻŌpelu by Shipwreck Bar.
Award-winning designer NICOLEHOLLIS helmed the resort’s distinctive interior aesthetic, deftly balancing a luxurious yet locally resonant feel. Committed to retaining the identity of the original property while bringing it firmly into the 21st century, she sought to tell the richly layered story of Kaʻūpūlehu through natural materials, custom-made furnishings, and art made especially for the resort.
Driven by the historical and cultural importance of Kona Village, significant consideration has been given to sourcing and commissioning the resort’s art, with nearly all the contributing artists being native Hawaiians or current residents.
The first female and first Westerner to complete an apprenticeship with Japan’s master potter Ken Matsuzak, Suzanne Wang brings a distinct East Asian influence to her arresting ceramics and pottery. Currently residing on the Big Island, she relies on nature to feed her creativity and inspire new forms.
Carrying on the ancient practice from her mother and living master, Marie McDonald, Roen Hufford creates unique kapa, a traditional native Hawaiian barkcloth, using hand-made dyes from island plants. Born on Molokai and raised on the Big Island, she has expanded upon her mother’s work, creating highly sought-after kapa by collectors and cultural practitioners.
Steve works with wood, stone, and bronze. He collects driftwood from the coastlines of the northwest and ehnances the beauty of fine, exotic woods from his home in the Hawaiian Islands. The materials chose for the Kona Village piece were inspired by the surrounding landscape that encompasses the Village property.
