Statues are very much in the news today and the center of a national debate over who gets honored and what that says about our society. Reflections in Stone and Bronze looks through the lens of Hawai‘i’s statues to explore sixty historical figures, their ties to Hawai‘i’s history and culture, and how their values and accomplishments are memorialized.
Statue subjects fall into four categories: royal, religious & spiritual, music & entertainment, and national & international figures. Each sculpture is a story unto itself and serves as part of the fabric of the body of sculptures. Individually and collectively, the statues form a portal into the lives and communities of Hawai‘i and a unique sense of place.
The reader is invited to browse at their leisure. Well-researched text complimented by photographs and illustrations explain the subjects’ lives and times and the relationships between major figures. Statue sponsors are identified and the intentions of the artists revealed.
Throughout the book, stories are shared, challenges and controversies are unveiled, and a fascinating web of past and present is created sure to delight the reader, whether a long-time kama‘aina or a newcomer to the island.
This book is featured in the June 4, 2023 issue of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in an article titled “Summer fun starts with a good book from Hawaii publishers” by Pat Gee (click here to read)
Royal Statues
- Kamehameha the Great
- King Kamehameha III
- Kamehameha IV, Queen Emma, and Prince Albert
- King David Kalakaua
- Queen Lili‘uokalani
- Queen Kapi‘olani
- Bernice Pauahi Bishop
- Princess Victoria Ka‘iulani
- Johan Kuhio Kalanianaole
Religious & Spiritual Statues
- St. Augustine
- Father Damien (St. Joseph Damien de Veuster)
- Mother Marianne Cope
- Blessed William Joseph Chaminade
- St. Louis IX
- George Q. Cannon with Jonathan H. Napela
- Ma Na‘oheakamalu Manuhi‘i
- St. Andrew
- St. Francis of Assisi
- St. Patrick
- Kamakura Buddha Statue
Music, Culture & Entertainment Statues
- Joseph Kekuku, Father of the Steel Guitar
- Hamana Kalili, Shaka Sign
- Don Ho
- Gabby “Pops” Pahinui
- Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole
- Alfred Apaka
- ‘Iolani Luahine
- Puanani Kanemura Van Dorpe
- Elvis Presley
- Jack Lord Bust
Statues Honoring National & International Figures
- Duke Kahanamoku
- Richard Kalolo‘okalani “Buffalo” Keaulana
- Chad “Akebono” Rowan
- President Abraham Lincoln
- President William McKinely
- The Honorable Patsy Mink
- Dr. Donnis Hazel Thompson
- Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox
- Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
- Dr. Syngman Rhee
- Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal
- Mohandas K. Gandhi
- Shinran Shonin
- Qin Shi Huangdi
- Dr. Sun Yat-sen