Renowned Maui sculptor Dale Zarrela is creating sculptures out of trees burned by the 2023 Lahaina and Kula wildfires and donating 50% of the proceeds to raising and giving trees to wildfire victims. The sculpture in the photo is of the Hawaiian fire goddess Pele. The Maui News/Gary Kubota

Saddened by the 2023 Lahaina wildfire that took 102 lives and thousands of homes but glad that Maria Lanakila Church was spared, renown Maui sculptor and painter Dale Zarrella recalled having a vision of a giant monkey pod becoming a lifesize version of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“Then I had other dreams of trees taking the shape of Hawaiian gods, or aumakua, like the owl and fire goddess Pele,” he said.

Zarella, who has lived on Maui for 40 years, said he didn’t know what to make of these images arising out of his sleep until he met Duane Sparkman, founder of the nonprofit TreeCovery, whose mission is to grow trees across the Hawaiian islands for future generations.

Out of the talks emerged “From the ashes spirits of Aloha,” a project that enables Zarella to donate money from the sales of sculptures of trees burned in the wildfires to raising trees in areas in Lahaina and Kula and providing free trees to wildfire victims.

“We now have 7,500 trees in pots,” Zarrella said. “Our goal is to have more than 30,000 trees for the residents who were victims of the wildfires in Lahaina and Kula.”

He said 50% of the proceeds from sales will go to growing the trees and assisting qualified residents in planting them.

Zarrella, a Fairmont Kea Lani artist in residence, is scheduled to speak about his tree recovery project and other topics as a guest artist at Akakū Maui Community Mediaʻs March salon on Thursday. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the event takes place from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Standing in his studio at the Maui Tropical Plantation, Zarrella said he started sculpting at 9 years old with his first large commission at age 17 creating a crucifix for St. Dominic Catholic Church.

He’s gone on to create a number of bronze sculptures of Saint Damien of Molokai for Pope Benedict XVI in commemoration of Father Damien’s canonization and for Vatican Museums and churches.

His works have been collected by August Busch IV, Danny Devito, Carl Weathers and Fred Turner.

Zarrella continues to create sculptures out of burned and recovered trees from the 2023 Maui wildfires.

Zarrella said when he shows people some sculptures from burned trees, it brings tears.

“To see beauty coming from that devastation gives hope to our hearts and souls,” Zarrella said.

He said the series of sculptures comes from a variety of different trees including milo, kiawi, monkeypod, kou and ironwood.

Zarella said that as an artist, he still thinks of himself as a 12-year-old who wakes up in the morning and wants to play by creating sculptures.

“I still look at it as a tremendous gift,” he said.

For more about Zarrella, go to dalezarrella.com.