Meet Riki and Tom Inzano – two of our local Maui gurus of 3D sand sculptures. You can see their work at festivals, celebrations and grand openings. But if you have a desire to participate with them, The Grand Wailea offers their classes every Friday from 10-12.
First priority is given to guests of the Grand Wailea, however if there are openings, outside guests and locals may participate. They not only teach you how to create out of sand in 3D, but also provide all the equipment you will require. Bring your imaginations, smiles and sunscreen and plan to have a great time!
Riki has been creating sculptures for more than 16 years, starting off on a team of artists and eventually branching off to work solely with her husband, Tom. When asked how she related sand sculptures with the art of Zen, she replied, “Sand sculpture is impermanent-So it’s all about the journey & sharing the process, as most people see art only as a finished product. It’s truly about living in & savoring the moment.” If you’ve ever built a sand castle, you know the time and thought that goes into one – imagine creating objects to scale, designed to withstand a much longer amount of time than the ones we’ve built on the shore’s edge. There has to be a passion there to accomplish this and Riki is all about the passion!
Out of the many sculptures they’ve created, Riki comments that her favorites are hard to narrow down to just one. The two that come quickly to mind are the triple hula dancer, due to its “fanciness”, and the animated saluting critters for the Elite Hearing Network/ National Guard sculpture that was created as part of a fund-raiser for a local charity – her explanation for remembering this piece so fondly was because “it helped make a very positive thing happen”. The Inzanos are proud to be here on Maui making art and it shows in their sand sculptures and in their classes.
During the two hour class, children and adults alike, learn how to pack sand, make sand soup, create their solid block structures and carve amazing creatures out of these miniscule pieces of beach. The beach below your feet is transformed into lifelike creatures selected special for each Friday’s class. Rizi explains patiently the process and then works with attendees individually to encourage and motivate the craft. She explains how a homemade double-ended “loop” tool that she’s crafted from paper clips and popsicle sticks is her “super-duper sand sculpting tool” and is therefore her favorite piece of her sand sculpting kit.
Although participating in sand sculpting contests sounds like fun, The Inzanos have an amazing nine year old and traveling right now isn’t an option. Fortunately for them, Maui offers beautiful landscapes for their artistic medium and as their business grows, they are available for parties, events and festivals. They offer something unique in that it’s not only entertainment, but also educational – something none of got to learn in school! Working on a sand sculpture can be a great team building exercise – and wouldn’t that be ideal for businesses here in Maui?
