CHARLES
MOORE
DBA HULA LAMPS OF HAWAII
74-5599 Luhia St. Unit F-5
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740-1677
Fax
808-331-8533
Local phone 808-326-9583
Toll Free: 1-800-421-5931
E-mail: lamps@aloha.net
Charles' younger years were spent traveling the globe in search of himself. In his travels he discovered the beauty of and an appreciation for other cultures. His appreciation for both the culture and climate eventually led Charles to settle in Hawaii.
Charles made a living several ways, including real estate promotion and scuba diving, always hoping to use his artistic talents as both a creative outlet as well as a means to make a living. The abundance of Hawaii's beauty provided no shortage of inspiration. He started sculpting and creating his works in ceramic, capturing the serenity of Hawaii's green sea turtle (Honu).
There is, of course, no better way to understand the hearts of the Hawaiian people than to immerse yourself in the art of Hula. "Hula is the language of the heart and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people." - (Kawika La'amea Kalahouo - King of Hawaii - 1874-1891) Charles has always been fascinated with the beauty of Hula and has logged hundreds of hours of video footage of the many festivals he has attended. The beauty of Hula has captivated his interest and challenged him to try to capture this spectacular and graceful art form. His current work centers on trying the capture the beauty of Hula through bronze sculptures. He does his original working mold in wax and creates each piece in bronze, using the precision and painstaking art of the lost wax process.
Charles is most notably recognized for his contribution in rekindling interest in the nostalgia of the circa 1940's hulalamp. His motivation for this began when his wife was eagerly searching for an original which are difficult to find, exceptionally fragile, and can easily run into the thousands of dollars. He decided that he would recreate a hulalamp for her. Once completed, he received so many positive compliments and requests from friends and family to make more that he decided that a market for the hulalamp existed. He worked hard at developing his product. He analyzed every square inch of the old lamps, creating a more reliable and smoother mechanism for operating the skirt. It is the movement of these sculptures that continue to fascinate everyone who sees them. He created molds similar to the originals as well as his own original designs.
The lamp shades needed a personality of their own also. Each shade is hand painted and is its own unique work of art. His signed limited edition recreations done in bronze have made a substantial impact in capturing the spirit of old Hawaiiana.
Charles' experiences creating in bronze continue to open up new outlets allowing that creativity to evolve, with Hawaiiana being the subject focus.
