Three murals spanning more than 80 feet part of Kauai Veterans Museum
Friday was a celebration and tribute to muralist Trysen Kaneshige and veterans — all veterans! — as the murals he and the Kauai Veterans Museum created were blessed and the museum reopened at the Kauai Veterans Center.
Kaneshige, recognized by Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami “as a gifted local artist whose vision, compassion and dedication have brought honor and inspiration to the Kauai community,” was honored with a plaque for his efforts creating three large murals inside the Kauai Veterans Museum.
“Through his generosity and commitment to service, Mr. Kaneshige has shared his artistic talents with the Kauai Veterans Museum by creating three magnificent murals spanning more than 80 feet of the museum’s wall, transforming these spaces into living tributes to the courage and sacrifice of America’s servicemen and servicewomen,” the proclamation states. “Through his artistic mastery, compassion and deep respect for veterans and their families, Mr. Kaneshige has created works that serve as enduring symbols of remembrance, respect and aloha, ensuring that the stories and sacrifices of our veterans will be honored for generations to come.”
Kauai County Council Chair Mel Rapozo, who presented Kaneshige with a congratulatory certificate earlier in the week, said this remarkable young man used aerosol cans of paint to create the masterpieces. Kauai Veterans Council Commander and retired Gen. Mary Kay Hertog pointed out the amount of detail showing on the face of a baby being held by a woman in one of the murals.
“What an unforgettable night!” said Bart Thomas, the director of the Kauai Veterans Museum, and the sparkplug of the mural project. “The unveiling was absolutely spectacular — a joyful, heart-lifting celebration of a remarkably humble and gifted young man. The love, pride and support surrounding Trysen filled the entire room, reminding us once again why Kauai’s sense of ‘ohana is unmatched anywhere in the world.”
“For the past two months, during the museum’s closure, our volunteers and staff had the privilege of witnessing the creative journey behind Trysen’s breathtaking murals,” Thomas said. “Every detail, every layer, every moment of dedication was poured straight from his heart into the Kauai Veterans Museum. And now, after overwhelming admiration from our community, Trysen has officially placed the museum on the map as a ‘must-see’ destination while on Kauai.”
The Kauai Veterans Museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with volunteers available to welcome and assist visitors through the museum.
The museum has a special section for retired Gen. Myron Dobashi, who delayed his attendance at a high school basketball game to watch his grandson perform.
Kaneshige said in a letter to Thomas
“For me, this mural is more than artwork. It is an offering to my island, to my ancestors, and to every veteran and family whose story lives inside these walls. I was born and raised on Kauai, and the island has always been a place of deep spiritual presence. Here, the connection to land, history and lineage is not abstract. It’s something you can feel in your body. Painting this mural on Kauai carries a different weight for me because this is my home. These are my people. This land raised me.
“As I worked on each panel, I carried not only the history of the wars being represented, but also the stories of my own family. My grandfather served in the Korean War, and painting this timeline became a way for me to honor him and acknowledge the sacrifice he, and many others made. In that sense, this mural is part personal healing, part cultural remembrance, and part community service.
“There is a Hawaiian understanding that our kupuna, our ancestors, continue to guide us through intuition, clarity, emotion and purpose. I don’t paint as if someone else takes over; I paint from a place of deep inner knowing and connection. The guidance comes through subtle things — a calm mind, a clearer direction, a feeling that certain choices are ‘right,’ and the sense that this work is bigger than myself. This mural is meant to be a visual history book for the community. Many people learn through imagery, and I wanted to create something that teaches future generations in a way that words alone cannot.
“These scenes represent sacrifice, resilience, and humanity. They are reminders of what our veterans endured and what their families carried long after the battles ended. At the same time, this mural is a form of healing — for myself and for others. I’ve been through my own struggles with injury, trauma and rebuilding my life. Painting became one of the ways I learned to heal, to find focus, and to reconnect with my purpose. Every stroke on this wall carries that intention to honor, to remember, and to heal through art. This mural is my offering to Kauai, a way to give back to the island that shaped me, to honor my grandfather, and to preserve the stories of our veterans for decades to come.
“My hope is that when people stand in front of this mural — children, elders, veterans, families — they feel something. Maybe understanding. Maybe pride. Maybe grief. Maybe a connection. Whatever they feel, I hope this mural helps keep. these histories alive, not just in memory, but in heart.
“This wall is for Kauai. This wall is for our kupuna. This wall is for every veteran who served. This wall is for the next generation who will learn from it. And, this wall is for the healing that art can bring to a community, and to the artist creating it.”