Guests walking into the award-winning JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa are now greeted by a new whimsical glass sculpture centerpiece in our resort’s atrium lobby.
The colorful artwork was designed and fabricated by local Kailua artist Geoff Lee who studied under prominent glass blown artists worldwide including Dale Chihuly.
Photo courtesy of Geoff Lee
Geoff used the Hawaiian legend of the Naupaka blossom, the symbol of our hotel, as the basis for the sculpture. The flower, which features a half circle of petals, is said to represent the ancient tale of two Hawaiian lovers who were separated as mortals but made whole in nature.
We unveiled the artwork on Hawaii’s Statehood Day, August 21, 2009. What we love about it is the blend of blown and solid glass elements, lava rock and wood in the piece, as well as sand and glass elements representing the ocean and fishing.
The colors are so vibrant, primarily greens and whites of the Naupaka plant, reds and yellows of anthurium and hibiscus plants, and beiges, ambers and blacks of koa wood, sand, earth and rocks.
Weighing several hundred pounds and measuring six feet in diameter and four to six feet tall, the sculpture sits on a round koa table in our resort’s lobby. So the next time you visit us, please feel free to admire the beautiful sculpture and take a closer look at the details Geoff put into this work of art.
