LeVan Keola Sequeira • Village Galleries Maui

 

Artist’s Statement…
I was born on February 7, 1945 in Honolulu. My childhood and subsequent years were then spent in Lahaina, Maui. My parents and grandmother taught me lessons and values, and what it means to be Hawaiian. From my Japanese bloodline, I inherited a sense of precision and artistry. These are some of the greatest gifts I received from my family and my ancestors, which I hold dear to this day.

I am currently incorporating more modern art into my traditional art. My ongoing study of curves and proportions guide my creations. One of the lessons and values handed down to me from my traditions is love and respect for the materials with which I work. When I take wood from a tree, I handle it with reverence. In this way I hope to take the spirit of the living tree through the carving into the work of
art, and ultimately honor the tree’s spirit.

As a self-employed, full-time Hawaiian carver, I work in wood,ivory, bone, plastics, gold and bronze. Most of my work is featured at the Village Galleries. I feel that the Hawaiians developed the highest form of wood sculpturing in the Pacific. To this I devote my life’s work.

Lynn Shue, Village Galleries -owner/director…
LeVan Keola Sequeira’s superb hand-turned bowls and vases now grace our galleries. A master canoe builder, Keola has expanded his love for Maui’s native woods by expressing himself in turned pieces that glow from within. Always creating new shapes or combinations of woods, he has taken the art of wood-turning to a new level.