Description
About The Artwork ~ Daniel’s Story
“This piece, ‘Ōhi’a’s Skull,’ tells the story of ‘Ōhi’a and his lover Lehua. ‘Ōhi’a and Lehua’s bond was inseparable. Pele, the goddess of fire, wanted ‘Ōhi’a for herself and was jealous of the love that ‘Ōhi’a and Lehua shared. Out of anger, Pele turned ‘Ōhi’a into a tree. Lehua was heartbroken and begged the gods to reunite her with her lover. The gods out of pity turned Lehua into the flower of the twisted tree, forever uniting the two. This is where the name for the tree comes from.
“In this piece of art you can see Lehuas’ flowers begin to tangle ‘Ōhi’a’s skull. The birds you see are ‘apapane birds. They are one of many native and critically endangered honeycreeper birds of Hawaii.”
