Wiliwili “Repeatedly twisted” Pua ka wiliwili, nanahu ka manō. “When the wiliwili blooms, the sharks bite” This piece was inspired by the ‘ōlelo no’eau above, which speaks to the deep connection and understanding that our people had with their surroundings. The fact that our ancestors were so in tune with nature that they made the correlation between wiliwili trees blooming, and aggression in sharks. The trees flowered at the same time of year that waters were warmer and sharks were breeding and more aggressive. As many already know, the intricate, meticulous artistry of our people has been my biggest inspiration. Growing up in Hawai’i as an extremely mixed, fare-skinned Kanaka, I always felt like I didn’t look the part, therefore I never felt like I was “allowed” to do Hawaiian things in fear of backlash. These creations are a way for me to connect to these techniques and craftsmanship of our people, in my own crazy interpretation. Of course, yes, I would love to learn the traditional approach one day. But for now, I will continue to be inspired and pave my own path. Another year older, another year wiser 🤙🏽