Mele Murals promotes youth development, arts education, cultural preservation, and community-building through the creation of large-scale outdoor murals. Mural designs focus on Hawaiian local stories that explore cultural and historical heritage.
We are honored to have a relationship with Mele Murals and continue to work on the visual identity for their intersessions programs. Each program has its own theme, bringing it's own set of challenges, and exciting creative solutions.
Fall Program
Mele Murals Fall Program's theme in 2023 was 'Ulu (breadfruit). 'Ulu stands as a symbol of growth and strength due too its gripping roots that allow for a sturdy and tall tree to grow. It's strong nature inspired a bold, yet fun and approachable design. Focusing on 'ulu's quilt pattern design, allowed us to play around with a vibrant color, clean compositions, and a fun legible type.
Spring Program
Kukui (candlenut), was the theme explored by Mele Murals on it's spring program in 2024. To calm the waters and to see more clearly, fishermen spewed kukui nuts into the ocean. Kukui's oil is used to light up candles, and its light serves as a representation of knowledge, allowing us to see more clearly. The Kukui nut allowed us to explore a more illustrative design, inspired by it's many uses, represented by three complementary icons (the fire, the kukui nut, and a drop of oil).
Summer Program
The theme for the Mele Murals Summer Program 2024 was ahupua'a, which means a land division from the mountains to the see. Each week explored a different aspect of that, going from the birds in the sky, to the waterfalls of the mountain, to the people working the land, and finally arriving at the sea. The visual identity for the Mele Murals Summer Program 2024 is a direct visual representation of that, using gradients that travel from the sky down to the sea, and icons that illustrate each part of the ahupua'a.
Summer Program 2025
The Mele Murals Summer program 2025 had emphasis on Kumulipo. The Kumulipo holds immense cultural, spiritual, and historical significance for Kanaka Maoli. It is a sacred genealogical chant that traces the origins of the Hawaiian people, the land, and all living things back to the primordial darkness (pō), emphasizing the interconnectedness of all life. Composed in poetic and rhythmic form, the Kumulipo serves as a foundation for Hawaiian identity, reinforcing ancestral ties and the deep relationship between humans and nature.
For the program's merch line, we turned our focus to deep sea creatures, exploring the darkness and the emergence of life in that context (an idea explored in the first few verses of the Kumulipo).
