Piece By Piece
IN 2022, EAST HAWAII Health Cancer Center (EHHCC) at Hilo Medical Center, embarked on a renovation project, including enhancing the building’s façade with artwork to create a welcoming setting. Inspired by paintings by local artist Kristie Fujiyama Kosmides displayed across the island, EHHCC originally proposed adding a painted mural by Kosmides on the center’s newly renovated façade. However, considering Hilo’s tropical weather, the artist worked with the healthcare organization to propose another idea- a mosaic made of ½/2-inch vitreous glass tile that could withstand the area’s humid and rainy conditions.
After deciding on a medium for the artwork, the project team focused on what the mosaic would display. “EHHCC knew they wanted to represent the community in the mosaic mural, but those were the only guidelines. I had the freedom to create something that was more than just a piece of art-but a beacon of hope for the center’s patients,” Kosmides says.
Completed in December 2023, Kosmides’s “Ka Lökahi O Ke Aloha” (meaning “in love and togetherness there is unity”) features depictions of locals- those who have battled cancer, as well as their loved ones. The 202-square-foot mosaic mural comprises more than 100,000 vitreous glass tiles in 31 different colors. To accurately render the forms of each person, Kosmides worked with a local photographer to capture their poses and figures for the artwork. The artist then partnered with Artaic, a Boston-based mosaic design and fabrication company, to transform the original drawings into the finished art piece. ‘Ka mana’olana aloha o nã lima ko’o o ke ‘anuenue,” the inspiration statement behind the mosaic mural, means ‘the supporting hands of the rainbow bring hope, love, and healing for all who come to here.’ Our island’s Rainbow Falls waterfall is next door to the facility, so I hope the artwork is a greeting that tells all entering it that they are not alone in their journey,” Kosmides says.
