These prints arrive unframed, giving you more flexibility—mount them yourself, choose a custom frame, or gift them as personalized rolled canvas prints.
Each canvas is printed in high-resolution on premium 18 mil. artist-grade cotton poly blend canvas, delivering rich colors, fine detail, and a professional gallery feel.

Small11” X 14” / Medium16” X 20” / Large20” X 24”

“PAIEA X KU”

Influenced from a young age by renowned artist Herb Kawainui Kane, Stephen Koa Kakaio has dedicated a majority of his life into recreating aspects of Hawaiian history all but lost. He has ventured down a plethora of historic, academic and artistic avenues over the years in an attempt to bring historical figures of ancient Hawaii to life.

This piece titled: “Paiea, Ku and Keku” is simply a bust of the young Kamehameha and his mentor/kiaʻi(guardian) after he receives custody of the war god Kukaʻilimoku. The location is Hale o Keawe during a time of divide among the Big Island chiefs. The artist used descriptions from old journals and diaries from sailors, moʻolelos (stories) as well as portrait sketches from foreigners in the 1800ʻs to create these figures as they might have looked in their prime. Kamehameha’s mahiole (helmet) and ahuʻula ( cape) is what the artist envisions the young Kamehameha might actually have worn in his early 20ʻs. The mahiole was gifted to King Kaumualiʻi of Kauaʻi from Kamehameha at the end of his reign. The ahuʻula was sent to King George III of England as a gift in an attempt to gain support in unification of all the islands.