POW! WOW! Hawai‘i + Ward Village

Ward Village has become the epicenter for creative commerce in Honolulu—where small business owners and artists work side by side to create a uniquely local experience for Hawaii residents and visitors.

POW! WOW! Hawai'i, the largest gathering of street artists in the Pacific, exemplifies this movement with one-of-a-kind murals spanning the greater Ward area. They simultaneously beautify the area in fun and surprising ways, while also referencing and paying tribute to its natural surroundings.

In High Tide Living, a mural on Pohukaina Street that took about 50 hours to complete, local artists Roxanne and Matthew Ortiz immerse us in another one of their signature ecosystems based around surf-skate culture and green energy.

"We enjoy illustrating imaginative communities where roof top gardens, solar panels and water catchment go hand in hand with surfboards, skateboards, and half pipe ramps," said Roxanne Ortiz. "In a slight divergence from our usual subject matter of sustainable tree houses, we decided to take to the sea and put our dwellings on boats!"

It's a subtle note that as Honolulu continues developing, there's a living artwork always around us that still require our consideration and respect. "It's interesting how people who are unfamiliar with this part of Kaka'ako often don't realize how close the ocean is," Ortiz added.

Historically, Kaka'ako has always had a deep connection to the sea. Our mural is a playful reminder of how important it is that moving forward, we design our living spaces with respect for the ocean.

This is just a single look at the many sprawling art pieces waiting to be discovered at Ward Village. From the artists themselves to how our merchants feel its enriched their shops, see how it all comes together below.