{"id":96654,"date":"2021-02-24T10:13:22","date_gmt":"2021-02-24T20:13:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekpro\/?p=96654"},"modified":"2021-03-10T17:06:13","modified_gmt":"2021-03-11T03:06:13","slug":"sooriya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekpro\/sooriya\/","title":{"rendered":"The Soul of Sooriya"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\nThe master copper artist known as Sooriya not only inspires many with his larger-than-life sculptures of whales and dolphins in N\u0101n\u0101kuli, but also with his peaceful messages of caring for the earth and serving others with aloha.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

On a sunny Westside morning in N\u0101n\u0101kuli, the sculptured bodies of two humpback whales reflect an iridescent radiance. They represent the largest copper whale structure in the world, and are the handiwork of artist Muthukumaru Sooriyakumar (known by most as Sooriya), a 71-year-old Sri Lankan man whose values of unity, harmony and compassion go wherever his bare feet take him.<\/p>\n

As a young boy in a Ceylon village, Sooriya developed adoration for art after wandering upon workers who were shaping stone for a nearby temple.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was very fascinated by the sound and rhythm. Everything is rhythm,\u201d says Sooriya. \u201cI knew that’s the way I wanted to do artwork.\u201d<\/p>\n

It comes as no surprise, then, that the bulk of his artwork in the decades since is made from copper, an element that produces a distinct chime and vibration when manipulated.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The largest copper humpback whale sculptures in the world can be seen swimming along the side of The Agnes Kalaniho\u2018okah\u0101 Community Learning Center at The N\u0101n\u0101kuli Village Center.<\/p><\/div>\n

Sooriya’s lifelong dedication to the craft, along with his devotion to helping communities, has garnered him accolades and recognitions from nearly every corner of the world \u2014 most predominantly, here in the islands.<\/p>\n

From being named one of the Living Treasures of Hawai\u2018i by Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai\u2018i to becoming a Hero of Forgiveness from Hawai\u2018i Forgiveness Project, Sooriya, who lives humbly in a 10-by-10-foot Wai\u2018anae cottage, overflows with continual gratitude, a virtue he credits to his parents and grandparents.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey did so much for the people,\u201d he says. \u201cI learned how to share, how to give, how to feed; this really took me all around the world. It’s already in my lineage \u2014 the gratitude, serving, helping and coming together.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Westside students visited Sooriya’s Wai\u2018anae nonprofit as part of Kohol\u0101 Ola Peace Project.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI’m not attached to money, wealth or any of that. Whatever I have, I will share it and give it away,\u201d he continues. \u201cI don’t want anything. I don’t take anything when I go \u2014 only my soul and the good things I have done here. One day, my journey will end. Why should I get attached to unnecessary things? I create \u2014 that’s all I do. I work on the farm. I help people who need help. It’s a different path that I’ve taken.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through his nonprofit Mouna Arts & Cultural Village, Sooriya shares a lifetime of lessons with all those who visit. Found beneath the Wai\u2018anae mountain range, the compound is a hub where people can learn about traditional visual arts and farming, while becoming one with nature and each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt connected to this part of the island because the first thing I saw were the trees \u2014 all of the trees grow in the village where I was born,\u201d he says. \u201cAlso, the mountains, the ocean, the sacredness and the people around here are beautiful.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

An artistic venture that led to the creation of a 45-foot humpback whale and her 32-foot calf. PHOTOS COURTESY ALEXANDER BOCCHIERI OF LUMOS MEDIA<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI worked in many places around the world and I helped the people here, there, everywhere. But I wanted to give something back to the island and the people because gratitude is so important in our lives,\u201d Sooriya says about why he decided to open the nonprofit. \u201cWe are a part of nature, so we have to take care of Mother Earth. When we take care of the soil, we cultivate ourselves. I want to share this message of farming, sharing, artwork and healing. I want to share it with the children and all walks of life.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore the virus, children would come and they would plant trees and work on the farm,\u201d he adds. \u201cAnd, because there aren’t too many art programs in school, I started an artist village here, too. There are no expectations, it’s from the heart. This is a place for healing, feeding and sharing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Serving as the perfect embodiment of his message is the Kohol\u0101 Ola Peace Project, a mission that began nearly 10 years ago when Dr. Agnes \u201cAunty Aggie\u201d Kalaniho\u2018okah\u0101 Cope, a dear friend of Sooriya’s and a founder of Wai\u2018anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, approached him with a question.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne day, she asked me, \u2018Sooriya, they’re going to build a building in N\u0101n\u0101kuli \u2026 it’s a community center for all the people. Are you going to do some artwork there?’\u201d remembers Sooriya, who has been WCCHC’s resident artist since 2005. \u201cI said, \u2018Mama, I would love to do something like that for you.’<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Thousands of hands pounded the copper of life-sized whale sculptures, including those of Sooriya’s mother Annapoorani (sitting) and his brother Jothykumar (standing next to her).<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIn the meantime, Aunty Aggie passed away. I said, \u2018word is word. I will do it’ \u2014 and I did. I finished it. That’s the way it all started \u2014 with the community. I wanted to do it with the children, people from all walks of life, coming together in harmony to create something.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the fall of 2018, thousands of hands spanning generations, religions and ethnicities pounded pieces of copper that eventually transformed into a 45-foot humpback whale and her 32-foot calf. While there, Sooriya taught visitors \u2014 who ranged from area students to community leaders \u2014 about the importance of taking care of the environment, especially the ocean, a place where the project’s muse inhabits.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout the people, without the community, I cannot do it,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen they come together to pound, they did it from their heart. There is no separation when creating something,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Made possible with help from Cliff and Ren\u00e9e Tillotson, the project continued at their Kapolei-based workspace. Once welded, the whales were transported to Agnes Kalaniho\u2018okah\u0101 Community Learning Center at The N\u0101n\u0101kuli Village Center.<\/p>\n

More of Sooriya’s work can be seen across the parking lot. A pod of copper dolphins, none of which look the same, playfully leap on the side of a nearby building. Only recently installed, Sooriya’s friends gaze in wonderment, joking that he \u201cnever sleeps.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a project that has been a dream of my brother Sooriya for many, many, many years. I think this was a dream of his before he was even born,\u201d states Kamaki Kanahele, director of WCCHC’s Traditional Hawaiian Healing Center and son of Cope. \u201cIt’s going to be a symbol for world peace from Hawai\u2018i to all the world, and in these very different times, it’s even more important.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLast week, I was in Longs Drugs here in Wai\u2018anae and I was in the front of the line and a man said, \u2018I know you! Thank you so much. Let me pay for it,’\u201d says Sooriya. \u201cI told him, \u2018I have the money, brother, thank you,’ but he said, \u2018No, please let me pay for it.’ That is love. That is heart. It’s not about the money, but the mana. What a great blessing it is to have done this for the people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although the whales have found their forever home, Kohol\u0101 Ola Peace Project is far from over. The children who became a part of the legacy when their wooden mallets met the copper plates will grow up to share the xmessage for years to come.<\/p>\n

Sooriya also teases that a documentary titled Kohol\u0101 Ola<\/em> is in the works. Created by Alexander Bocchieri and Matthew Nagato of Lumos Media, the film captures the heart and grit behind the project. Additionally, two books featuring children’s artwork and photographs will be released and the project is currently seeking donations for completion.<\/p>\n

As for Sooryia’s next endeavor, he’ll soon be on his way back to Sri Lanka. There, he’ll construct a model village to immortalize traditional lifestyles and values for future generations to witness.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to do this for my people,\u201d he says. \u201cI was born there and I feel as though it’s my duty.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the Bible, there is a verse that says if you can save one soul, you can save the world. I believe this. When we come together, we can bring this aloha to the world and make it a better place.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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