High Design
Honolulu’s Kaka‘ako neighborhood is in the midst of an ongoing urban renaissance, which began a decade ago, and has included more than a few seminal moments. First, there was the creation and rise of Pow! Wow! Hawai‘i street art movement, which saw the area’s stagnant, traditional industrialized corners turned into vibrant canvases. There was the launch of SALT, an 85,000-square-foot area teeming with exciting restaurants and boutique retail. And then there was the announcement of Ward Village from the Howard Hughes Corporation, which envisioned a 60-acre, master-planned community to revitalize Kaka‘ako’s economic potential.
The development’s first luxury tower, called Waiea, sent waves of intrigue and excitement throughout Honolulu. But with it came concerns of conservancy and custodianship. While the Howard Hughes Corporation presented solutions—future reserve housing projects, relocating generationally owned businesses, even adjusting plans to accommodate an eco-friendly community gathering place—there remained no formal plan to protect the future of Pow! Wow! Hawai‘i’s street art collection, its annual festival, or the diverse following that helped make Kaka‘ako distinct, origi- nal and progressive.
“To us, this area was all about street art ... bringing art to the people and the fabric of daily lives in the city,” says Jasper
Wong, the Hawai‘i-based artist, illustrator, curator and founder of Pow! Wow! Hawai‘i. “So, when the [luxury residential] towers started rising, we thought that was the end of our vision, our artistic movement. We thought that the towers were going to overshadow the evolution of street art, which had become the storytelling of the neighborhood.”
But now, Wong isn’t so worried: “I was totally wrong with that assumption.”
The creative scene in Kaka‘ako continues to thrive. Developers support the creative community, commissioning murals and designing projects with designated exhibit space for public artworks. And with each new building comes a new parcel of homeowners to support the economic growth and artistic expressions of Kaka‘ako. Some of them are even elevating the local street art—literally.
Consider the home seen on these pages. It’s located on the 29th floor of Ae‘o, the newest luxury residence in Ward Village, penned by the award-winning architecture firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. The property’s owner was so inspired by panoramic views of vibrant streets below that he commissioned Wong to create a custom mural inside the private residence. But this wasn’t just about adding one artistic element to the space. According to Holly Boling-Ruiz of Philpotts Interiors, who led design team responsible for this home, the “project was really an interwoven tapestry of ideas.”
“The client wanted to make sure that the space reflected the dynamic area of Kaka‘ako, the energy to this building, to this area, all of the graffiti had been here years before the development came. So it was really a matter of trying to figure out how to honor the artist industry, while creating a graphic, interesting, modern vibe to the home.”
To amplify the energy inside, local art consultant Kelly Sueda curated a special collection of pieces to pair with Ruiz’s interior design and Wong’s mural. This meant sourcing original hand-prints by renowned global artists including Murakami, The Connor Brothers, Don Ed Hardy, Gary Simmons and Agnes Martin.
“Art and elevation combined with the evolution of street art is incredible. If you look at how New York’s early 1980s subway street art has become fine art ... it’s powerful,” Sueda tells HILuxury. “What was once seen as graffiti and tagging are now masterpieces steeply appreciated in value, esteem and sought after by art collectors and connoisseurs. To bring this free-form style of art into a home is bold risk, but combined with intentional style and in the environment of urban Hawai‘i, is especially extraordinary.”
When Wong, Sueda and Boling-Ruiz gathered for this interview, it was the first time all three collaborators on this design project were in the luxury condominium together, viewing the result of their original masterpiece, while overlooking the expansive 180-degree views of skyline, ocean and newly-erected construction cranes that are shaping Honolulu. Like art, the city is ripe with change and possibility.
“The thing I love about this project is that this home has an incredible view of downtown Honolulu and of the Kaka‘ako neighborhood. It all just comes together,” Sueda opined. “This home defines the concept of living art. With [Jasper Wong’s] original mural anchoring the home, art is everywhere—within, around, above and beside. Kaka‘ako has become an artistic extension of this home.”
The discussion quickly transitioned, moving from the design details of this privately commissioned project to the possibilities of the neighborhood at large, and what this collaboration could mean to the creative community.
“The reality is, each year, Pow! Wow! Hawai‘i continues to expand its artistic mural footprint in Kaka‘ako, and beyond,” Wong said. “So this idea from Kelly and Holly, to bring me on board to integrate street art to home art, is literally a next level extension of the work we have been doing here for more than a decade. It’s exciting and I hope it inspires others to do the same.”
The property owner has chosen to keep their identity private, but he designed the entire project with the idea of selling the home turnkey. That includes all of the furniture, décor and, of course, the world-class art collection and original Jasper Wong wall mural. For one lucky (and design savvy) homeowner, all they have to do is pack their bags.