On Saturday, Solomon Enos spent eight hours painting a mural that depicts a taro patch on the fence that wraps around the construction site of the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s new graduate housing, according to a news release. Enos is a well-known artist in Hawaii, who has painted murals at Thomas Square, the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, and at other construction sites at UH Manoa.

The $170-million Residences for Graduate Students is located at Dole Street between the East-West Center and the Manoa stream, across the street from Frear Hall. The groundbreaking for the construction of the university’s first graduate housing was held earlier this month.

Enos said his mural is inspired by Ka Papa Loi O Kanewai, the taro patch across the street at UH Manoa’s Hawaiinuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge.

“I wanted to extend that loʻi right on up to this wall over here so we can have a conversation, a connection between these two places because all of these areas would have most likely been in taro cultivation,” said Enos.

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.