Island Treasures: Holualoa Gallery
Spreading blessings is just one of the many lovely aspects of Matthew and Mary Lovein’s Holualoa Gallery. The business was established January 1990 and offers a range of fine art created by the Loveins and a select group of other artists.
Matthew’s specialties include working with clay, metal, and glass. Mary’s work includes paintings, photography, digital art, and a recent body of work of abstract photography printed on metal. She has authored a book documenting her research on the behavior of the Jackson’s chameleons in Hawai‘i, Chameleons in the Garden, which is also available at the gallery.
What was first a dream for Kona resident Matthew is now an amazing reality.
Matthew, an artist by nature and upbringing, says he was sleeping one night in 1992 when he awoke from a dream where he had seen an original concept and design. He proceeded to wake up his wife, Mary, telling her that he was going to create the Wish Keeper™.
In his dream, he saw a ceramic vessel with a distinctive base and a top formed like bamboo. This part of the art represents strength and flexibility.
When the lid of the vessel is lifted, a silk cord holding an inner chamber is revealed, where a person may place their written wish. The seal on the front of the vessel is an ancient symbol for best wishes and abundance in all things.
Matthew put this dream into action the very next day, and for the last 24 years, people from all over the world have collected these distinctive ceramic art sculptures.
Matthew creates in his private studio while Mary is busy talking story in the gallery.
Matthew and Mary first came to Holualoa in 1988, where they met the owner of the pottery gallery in the village. One thing led to another and before they knew it, they were permanent fixtures in the quaint island town.
Mary says, “The move to Hawai‘i Island was the best and right decision. We love our home. We are grandparents and great grandparents who continue to work and live a lifestyle that keeps us feeling young.”
Holualoa Gallery
Tues–Sat, 10am–5pm
First Fridays for Art after Dark, 4–8pm
808.322.8484
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