POW! WOW! 
Comes to Waikiki

To celebrate the Groundbreaking of Līlia Waikīkī, Brookfield Properties has teamed up with the 3 heads of POW! WOW! Hawaii to produce an original work of art that honors Queen Emma and the things she loved and exemplified throughout her life.

Designed by local artists, Jasper Wong, Jeff Gress, and Kamea Hadar, this mural represents Queen Emma’s passion for wellness, love of nature, and her appreciation for traditional Hawaiian crafts such as lauhala weaving – as the project was named to honor Queen Emma and her favorite flower, the lily. The artwork is symbolic of Līlia Waikīkī’s desire to design a space for residents to plant their roots in a community that values open space and a healthy lifestyle. It will also be a place for other visitors to find reprieve.

Led by Jasper Wong, Jeff Gress, and Kamea Hadar, POW! WOW! is a non-profit organization of contemporary artists committed to community enrichment through the creation of art outreach programs, educational programs and engaging the community in the creation and appreciation of art. Since the inception of POW! WOW! in 2011, the festival has done projects in 17 cities around the globe including Taipei, Tokyo, Nepal, Guam, Seoul, Israel, and more.

As we begin to build this mixed-use affordable rental project from the ground up, we don’t want to lose sight of why we’re here. This mural is just one way to pay tribute to Queen Emma as we begin to create a vision for future residents to cultivate the life they love at Līlia Waikīkī. What better way to introduce Brookfield Properties to the community than by partnering with some of Hawai‘i’s most well-respected artists.
Kris Hui
Vice President Mixed-Use Development, Brookfield Properties

POW! WOW! ARTISTS

Jasper Wong

Jasper Wong is an artist, illustrator, gallery owner in Hong Kong, and lead director of POW! WOW!. His art has exhibited worldwide, in places such as Japan, California, France, London, Mexico, New York, Hong Kong, Chicago, and Australia and he has been selected on multiple occasions by Archive magazine as one of the 200 Best Illustrators worldwide.

Jeff Gress

Jeff Gress is a sign painter, muralist and graphic designer. With an emphasis on hand drawn letterforms, calligraphy and traditional sign painting techniques, Gress’ work pays tribute to the craftsmen and trades from the past by creating letters by hand. Gress serves as the operations director for POW! WOW! and manages Lana Lane Studios in Kaka‘ako – a co-working creative space home to over 30 local artists and creatives.

Kamea Hadar

Kamea Hadar grew up in the worlds of his Japanese/Korean mother and Israeli father. He began studying drawing and painting from a young age, taking classes at the Honolulu Art Academy and University of Hawai‘i and spending time living and creating abroad in Paris, Madrid and Israel. Although Kamea’s work is based in traditional portraiture, it has evolved off of canvas to large scale murals and installations.