Michael Shewmaker - Sculpture
Aloha
MIchael Shewmaker here. I have lived in the East Hawaii section of the Big Island for the last 50 years. My wife, Keiko, and I met in Hilo and married in the Boston area where she was going to acupuncture school in 1983. We have our home, my studio and our 3 acre sculpture garden in Pepeekeo on the Hamakua Coast. Come visit.
Sculpture has been a passion of mine since an early age. As I recall things from my childhood, sculpture experiences keep coming to the fore. I think my father shared my interest in the genre. By the time I entered college there was no question in my mind but that I would enter the art department for my education. Southern Illinois University had a good craft program and I immediately gravitated to the ceramics and metalsmithing studios. Metalsmithing eventually grabbed the bulk of my time and I nearly lived in the studio during my last 2 years of school. Learning how to move metal with a hammer became an obsession that carries through almost all of my sculptural work. My art career was interrupted by a serious case of Crohn's Disease that led to a long period focused on staying alive. I made myself a solemn promise to return to sculpture if I was ever able and that promise began to come about in 2005 when my sculptor friend, Stephen Freedman said to me, "You love sculpture, why not make some sculpture?" The result has been a 20 year journey the highlights of which I will detail for you below.
Chronology
2025 Many Hands Many Journeys exhibition at Kahilu Theatre, Waimea, Hawaii
2025 Installation of 12' 'Orbis' stainless steel sculpture at 1000 Henry Street, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
2025 Installation of 14' 'Ki No Te' stainless steel sculpture in Simpsonville Civic Center, Simpsonville, South Carolina
2025 Installation of 7' 'Kulukulu' stainless steel sculpture in Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2024 Installation of 9' 'Continuum' stainless steel sculpture in the Wandell Sculpture Garden, Urbana, Illinois
2024 Installation of 8' 'Ophid' stainless steel sculpture at Volcano Arts Center, Volcano, Hawaii
2022 Installation of 12' 'Anaha' sculpture in front of East Hawaii Cultural Center, Hilo, Hawaii
2022 Installation of 14' ' ' concrete sculpture in the Stephen Freedman Sculpture Garden, Kurtistown, Hawaii
2022 Installation of 6' 'Covid Man' bronze sculpture the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2022 Installation of 12' 'Flamae' concrete sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2022 Installation of 8' 'Onna' bronze sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2020 Installation of 18' 'It' painted stainless steel sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2020 Installation of 20' 'Arbor' painted stainless steel sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2019 Installation of 18' 'Circus' stainless steel sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2019 Installation of 22' 'Sociis' stainless steel sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2018 Installation of 16' 'Leviatano' stainless steel sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2017 Installation of 14' 'Syren' concrete sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2017 Installation of 11' 'Vita' stainless steel sculpture at Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, New Jersey
2017 Installation of 12' 'Leviatano' stainless steel sculpture at Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, New Jersey
2016 Exhibited at 'Spectrum' Art Fair during Miami Art Week
2016 Installation of 7' 'Aurelius' painted stainless steel sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2016 Installation of 13' 'Ki No Te' stainless steel sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2016 Installation of 12' 'Orbis' stainless steel sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2016 Installation of 10' 'Hilo' stainless steel sculpture at 194 Kilauea, Hilo, Hawaii
2016 Exhibited at Hilton Head Island public art exhibition
2015 'Leviatano' 12' stainless steel sculpture purchased by Ann Marie Sculpture Garden, Dowell, Maryland
2015 'eXe' 9' stainless steel sculpture purchased by Downtown Colorado Springs for display in front of Pikes Peak Performing Arts Center
2015 'Vita' 11' stainless steel sculpture selected for Cosmos Exhibition at Ann Marie Sculpture Garden, Received Juror's Award
2015 Installation of 12' 'Ophid' stainless steel sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2015 Installation of 11' 'Hilo' stainless steel sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2015 Installation of 11' 'Conchatus' stainless steel sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2015 Exhibited at 'Spectrum' Art Show, Miami Art Week, Miami, Florida
2015 Exhibited at 'San Diego Art Fair' San Diego, California
2015 Exhibited at 'Indian Wells Art Fair' Indian Wells, California
2014 Exhibited at 'World Wide Art LA' Los Angeles, California
2011 to 2012 Exhibited at Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas
2009 Installation of 7' 'Brace' aluminum sculpture for display in Simpsonville, South Carolina
2009 Installation of 14' 'La Douleur' aluminum sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2008 Installation of 9' 'Mauna' aluminum sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2008 Installation of 12' 'Trine' aluminum sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
2008 Exhibition at 'Idspace' Gallery, Kurtistown, Hawaii
2007 Exhibited at 'Peace Arch Park Sculpture Exhibition' Blane, Washington
2007 Exhibited at 'Rosen Sculpture Exhibition' Appalachia State University, Boone, North Carolina
2007 Exhibited at 'Idspace' Gallery, Kurtistown, Hawaii
2006 Installation of 7' 'Whorl' aluminum sculpture in the Shewmaker Sculpture Garden, Pepeekeo, Hawaii
1975 Received Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois
Contact
I would love to hear from you. A text or email is probably the simplest but a phone call is fine, as well.
808-960-3677