About the Collection:

Nā Maka’āinana, the poetic term to describe the common people of ancient Hawai’i. In it most literal translation, “the eyes of land”, the workers, makers and cultivators are really extensions of the land and ocean, and it is this subtle and profound philosophy of my ancestors that has inspired both the theme and style of this series. With minimal, yet carefully balanced lines and forms, the maka’āinana emerge from a benevolent darkness which is rich in symbolism, like the darkest of our volcanic soils. And on the same plain, they share the light with plants and trees as perennial companions, along with their hana- work, which is where we merge our identity with the land through the clothes we wear and the food we eat. Each of these images are a window into this past, and perhaps, a more harmonious future.