The Goddess and the Artist: Pele Dreaming

By Gayle Kaleilehua Greco

At first glance, you wonder, are her eyes open or closed? Is she smiling or pensive? Is it lava flow or ocean? That is the mystery of MaryAnn Hylton’s casting of “Pele Dreaming.”

The image of Pele was first designed by the late Herb Kawainui Kāne, a beloved Hawaiian artist, historian, and author with special interest in Hawai‘i and the South Pacific. MaryAnn Hylton, a Kailua-Kona artist, has been producing works of art for 60 years. Herb and MaryAnn collaborated to bring Pele forward as the Goddess who breathes grace, compassion, and love of the ‘āina (land)—the true guardian of Hawai‘i Island.

In 1989, MaryAnn and her husband Brock were asked to come to the islands to assist Herb in the creation of multiple sculptural works for the Grand Wailea, Maui—a project that required many months of close collaboration and an opportunity to discover symbiotic talents. Their personal friendship and professional relationship was fortified by a mutual passion for sculpture and a sensitivity and respect for the spirits of the islands. MaryAnn applied her technical knowledge and unyielding dedication to meticulous craftsmanship and Herb, his anthropological knowledge of the Hawaiian culture and extraordinary skills as a master sculptor.

In creating the multiple sculptures, attention to detail was extremely important, as MaryAnn thumb printed the representation of each hulu or feather on the statue of King Kamehameha I while also making wax casts to represent the dogs’ teeth that were worn around the calves of the ancient warriors. MaryAnn was tasked to create things that she had not seen before, like the malo, draped fabric as a loincloth, that adorned the male figures. She remembered her mother’s words, “Nothing you learn is ever wasted.” And there it was, the years of MaryAnn folding linen and fabric for her mother, came forward to this moment as she formed the impression of the malo—with perfect billows and folds—she knew exactly what to do.

In the five months it took to create the 18 sculptures, there was a day when Herb Kāne walked into the studio with rolled up drawing paper and presented his next creation. Herb had been looking for a live model to bring Pele to life and in the long time of searching, no one had surfaced. In his mind’s eye, Herb saw his model, his Pele, and he sketched her into what we now know as one of his most popular art pieces, “Pele Dreaming.”

As MaryAnn and Herb studied the sketch, they began massing clay on a special table Herb had made to hold the weight of the mold. Creating, sculpting, hands deep in clay, bringing to life the ‘other woman,’ the One, Pele-honua-mea, Pele of the Sacred Land. At one point, Herb, a quiet man, stepped back, and MaryAnn could sense he was looking for something more. She watched as he held a mound of clay and walked off into the distance at Hōnaunau, deep into the sacredness of the ‘āina.

When Herb returned, he brought a clay impression of the lava flow, with just the right depth and curvature; this was Pele’s hair. The sweeping richness of lava-like waves cascaded down and around Pele’s body, encircling her in the black opulence representative of her cherished island.

Their collaboration continued, now moving in the direction of Pele’s face. From the coarse indentations of the hair, to the silken, smooth aspect of delicate Pele. The most beautiful face emerged. It was the softer side of Pele, the one who holds the compassion and love, the insightful beauty and guardian of Hawai‘i Island. Something extraordinary was happening, another transformation was being shown to the artists, the ones chosen to bring Pele into three-dimensional form. Herb stepped back and quietly shook his head; what was it? What was being asked of him? And the message came, quickly and with clarity, it was her eyes, Pele’s eyes, they needed to be closed. In this moment, a moment of intuitive reflection, there was a birth. The revelation was a new Pele, pensive and peaceful: a contemplative goddess, softly lowering her top lid to her bottom lid, beckoning viewers to come inside her welcoming energy.

MaryAnn continued to sculpt and create the form of “Pele Dreaming,” bringing forth the fiery flames and the Goddess’ crown of lehua blossoms—the flower of Hawai‘i Island and most associated with Pele. MaryAnn noted that Herb was a taskmaster for details. He would give MaryAnn all the intricate work to recreate his vision, which was now their combined creation. In molding Pele’s hand into just the right position and angle to hold the Earth’s flame, MaryAnn became the model for that piece of the relief. Ever so graceful and still, MaryAnn was now an extension of this figure.

Pele was near completion and as MaryAnn commented, “it seemed like magic when it was finished. Everything flowed as if time stood still for all of this work to be done.” Through all the talk stories, the chicken-skin moments, the silence and deliberation, Pele seemed to guide Herb and MaryAnn into bringing Pele’s new form to life.

In our time together, MaryAnn unveiled a mold of the relief, an empty vessel awaiting the contents of its structure. A blue-green imprint, lying prone on the work table, a life-sized portrait of the Goddess’ face looked back at us. Peering into the shape, hovering ever so carefully above her, one could get lost in the mystery of Pele. Here she was, presenting herself as if to say, “know me from the inside out.” Her closed eyes appeared open in this negative relief form, releasing a communication that she sees all, whether internal or external, her power is present and her love for her land and people is unconditional.

While there is one master mold, the one that held the energy of this experience, Herb gave MaryAnn the rights to make additional molds and produce “Pele Dreaming” for custom orders. In creating the bas-reliefs, each one is made from the same mold; yet as MaryAnn works with Pele to let her know who has commissioned the particular piece, there is always a unique revelation in the finished product that reflects the buyer and the presence of Pele.

As MaryAnn continued to create “Pele Dreaming,” she talked to Herb about creating a smaller version of the piece for people who may not have the space to accommodate a large relief. At first, Herb was not fond of the idea and yet he knew that there had been requests for the smaller size. MaryAnn began to experiment with the mold making samples of what a scaled-down version would look like. With Pele as her guide, MaryAnn found that the Goddess’s face was to be the focal point, so Pele’s face remained the same size while MaryAnn carved around the flames and lava flow.

When MaryAnn was finished with the cast, she said it was like “…freeing Pele, allowing her to float with outward expression of her feminine aspect of power and grace.” Here Pele was revealed again, this time in the “Mask of Pele Dreaming.” Herb was delighted with the outcome of this art relief. It carried the same elegance and craft as the larger relief, and yet somehow portrayed a personal side of Pele.

Always the artist and creator, MaryAnn says that “texture and patterns are part of my life” and one sees that in walking through the home and gardens of MaryAnn and her husband, Brock. Everything within view has color and dimensional qualities. As MaryAnn began to experiment beyond the cold-cast bronze, she refined her production of Pele to use materials that are in alignment with nature and would also give her the texture and depth that she is known for in her three-dimensional art selections. From her earlier days in sand casting, MaryAnn contacted a master sculptor in San Diego to assist her in creating the molds and ingredients for the castings that are available as hand-poured and hand-finished in matte white, black, antiqued true bronze, antiqued pewter, and 24K gold.

MaryAnn, 81-years-young, remembers her first ‘ah-ha’ moment of loving art. As a small girl, four years of age, living in Washington D.C., MaryAnn’s mother brought her to her aunt’s house and they went for a visit to the next door neighbors. It was there where MaryAnn was surrounded with child-sized easels, painting tables, sandboxes, and all things this little girl could imagine. MaryAnn instantly played and created, dreaming up all possibilities her mind’s eye envisioned. Not knowing there was such a thing as an ‘artist,’ in that day’s playtime, MaryAnn knew this is what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. In following her dream, through childhood and young adulthood, MaryAnn found art was her way of expressing herself, her story, and connection with nature. Her work included many art forms: painting, collages, weavings, sand casting, and sculptures.

Settling in Maryland with her husband and three children, MaryAnn noticed the schools were not teaching the arts in the way she had experienced them. The schools were teaching technique, however not the soul of the work. MaryAnn long believed that every person carries creativity within them. She desired to make the opportunity of creative expression available to her community and with that, MaryAnn opened an art school.

Her first students ranged from eight to 80 years of age, and as she taught them, they blossomed like a field of flowers, each revealing their own unique style and expression. The school grew to include five teachers and had quite a range of art media instruction. After five years, MaryAnn was recruited to lead touring art exhibits and workshops around the country. She was commissioned to do art projects along the way, and one in particular led her to San Diego which started her journey into sand casting and sculpting.

MaryAnn’s intuitive nature taps into the very essence of Pele, as if chosen to bring all the dimensions of Pele forward. When MaryAnn began to create art in Hawai‘i, she realized this was a culmination of all her beliefs. As MaryAnn’s turquoise blue eyes deepen with conscious understanding, she says, “the power of creativity is in all of us, we are born with this power and it is the essence of who we are.” When the artist elder speaks these words, one can only step back and observe, are these words of Pele or MaryAnn? Perhaps it is the message of both women, strong and willful, creative and passionate, sensitive and compassionate.

Herb Kāne often said, “Every brushstroke and every word has brought and will forever bring wisdom, beauty, inspiration, and understanding.”

Contact artist MaryAnn Hylton: PeleHawaii.com
Contact photographer George R. Young: gryoungphoto AT gmail DOT com
Contact writer Gayle ‘Kaleilehua’ Greco: gayle.greco AT gmail DOT com