Featured Artist/Carver

Makana Hut is honored to feature master carver Richard Morgan Howell as our Onsite Carver/Artist. Richard is one of the finest woodcarvers of Hawaiian and Pacific art and sculptures. Richard's wood carving and sculpting career spans more than fifty years from 1966 to the present.

During this period, numerous years were also devoted to his career in fisheries development projects in the Indopacific islands of Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Micronesia( Chuuk, Guam, Saipan, Kosrae, Marshall Islands). 
Richard Howell Carvings - Makana Hut

(Images Above: Left - “The successful fisherman(Lawai’a lanakila)” / Right - Paddle seen on Hawaii Five-O)

From 1966-1968 Richard worked as a  Peace Corp Volunteer working and living on Kayangel Atoll, Palau, Micronesia I worked closely with the Atoll’s resident wood carvers. Using simple hand tools, he produced utilitarian items such as spear guns, diving goggles, coconut scraping stools, pig platters, fishermen’s boxes and food containers.

Richard Howell Carved Makau - Makana Hut

(Images Above: Left - 5 Piece Makau Huikal / Right - Mango wood Makau)

He continued his wood sculpting career in San Diego and Maui, Hawaii. In San Diego he carved from palm logs, 25+ large, commissioned tikis(ki’i) figures. On Maui, he sculpted several Hawaiian legend pieces displayed at the Village Gallery in Lahaina. Richard worked on his art doing a two year residency in the Hawaiian homestead community at Hauula, Oahu hosted by kupuna Ahi Logan. Working in local woods of Koa, Milo, Ohai and others, I completed many Hawaiian fish hook replica’s, Poi pounders, bowls(umeke), and idols(ki’i).ain lobby, sculpting a large Loa wood bas relief sculpture. 

Hawaiian shark god Kane-I-Kokala -Richard Howell Makana Hut

(Image Above: Hawaiian shark god Kane-I-Kokala made from Mango Wood, Redwood & Ebony)

Richard Howell carving tray - Makana Hut

(Image Above: Richard carving a Manta Ray tray from Avocado wood)

That is touching the surface of this carver/artist, he does custom work and Makana Hut will be offering a some of his finished pieces including Makau, Pacific Legend Sculptors, Reliefs/Storyboards, Sea Life Carvings, Trophies/Awards and much more... Please take a look at a few of Richards finished pieces: CLICK HERE.

If you are interested in commissioning Richard for that one of a kind piece of Pacific carving/art you can contact us at sales@makanahut.com or call (949) 248-2726.