A fierce moʻo returns to Mōʻiliʻili  in a new mural that’s bringing vibrant color, connection and culture to the Waikīkī ahupuaʻa.

The mural is part of the Kapaʻakea District-Wide Art Initiative by Kamehameha Schools, celebrating the district’s moʻolelo and breathing life into its public spaces. Through cultural storytelling, public art and place-based learning, the initiative aims to uplift the character of Mōʻiliʻili while grounding future development in culture and ʻāina.

“This initiative is about keeping moʻolelo alive and making Hawaiian culture part of daily life,” said Haunani Fujimoto, senior director for Leasing, Transactions, and Administration with ʻĀina Pauahi. “Each mural is a reminder that Hawaiian identity, history and stewardship are the very foundation of this community.”

Painted by married artists and entrepreneurs Matthew Kawika Ortiz KSK’02 and Roxanne Ortiz, the piece at Hālau ʻĪnana captures the story of the moʻowahine of Mānoa, transforming a concrete wall off Beretania St. into a stunning depiction of makani, wai and ʻāina.

For Matthew, who graduated from UH Mānoa and lived with relatives while painting the piece, it was a personal homecoming.

“I stayed at my auntie’s place, which is right up the street from this mural,” Ortiz said. “We were just talking story... asking her about her family and her genealogy. That’s the beauty of the process of mural painting — it’s that interaction with community. It informs the mana.”

That collaboration continued as passersby stopped to watch, ask questions and engage with the work. Keiki pointed out the colors, and others from a kahili workshop in Hālau ʻĪnana came out to see the mural take shape.

“That’s who it’s for — the lāhui and the people who see it and start thinking about the moʻo,” Ortiz said. “It’s good conversation pieces.”

That connection to community is what gives the mural its power. More than beautification, it’s part of a broader commitment to placekeeping: a community-driven approach to development that highlights moʻolelo, honors ʻāina and amplifies Native Hawaiian perspectives.

“Public art is so important,” Ortiz said. “It activates a space and brings local traffic...like stores and restaurants. It’s the idea of waiwai. When you bring murals in, I think it attracts people with color and curiosity, and people are the waiwai.”

Beneath the vibrant imagery, the mural carries deep layers of symbolism and story, especially when it comes to wai and transformation. The moʻolelo of the moʻo turned to stone after a battle with Hiʻiakaikapoliopele is central to the piece.

“That transformation and loss — but also gaining — is a really interesting concept to reckon with, especially when you’re thinking of changing cities and…development,” Ortiz said.

For him, this piece also represents a deeper connection to the community that helped raise the Kapālama alum and the institution that helped shape him.

“I’m just so grateful for the foresight of Pauahi that we have these spaces to call our own and to really feel pilina with these places,” Ortiz said. “This is really the follow-through on that educational journey that started up at Kapālama…and then becoming an alumnus and being able to come back and give back in different ways — it’s just full circle.”

That circle includes kumu who shaped him, like high school teacher Carl Pao KSK’89, who first taught him as a homeschooler and later at KS, and now stands beside him as a peer in the public art space.

“When you can paint alongside the people who have taught you and brought you up, it’s a real honor and so humbling,” Ortiz said.

Now complete, the mural at Hālau ʻĪnana doesn’t just tell the story of a large lizard. It reflects the layers of identity, education and community that make Kapaʻakea a place where Hawaiian culture lives and thrives for all to see.

More murals are planned as part of the initiative. A community gathering is set for September 20 from 9 a.m. to noon at Hālau ʻĪnana to celebrate the past, present and future of the Kapaʻakea district — where the city meets the University of Hawaiʻi campus.

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