Kilo
Observation
Before anything is made, I look. Reading a brand, a community, a material, a place, and letting what is actually there shape what comes next.
What I do
Two practices,
one ʻōiwi lensThe studio holds two spheres, design and art, not as separate departments but as two expressions of a single creative practice. Both are made with the same attention, rooted in ʻŌiwi ways of knowing.
The approach
The same care in every medium
Whether the work is a brand identity or a beaten sheet of kapa, it begins the same way. Three practices from Hawaiian knowledge traditions run through everything I make.
Moʻolelo
Story
Every project belongs to a larger story. I ask what it carries forward, and for whom, so the work holds meaning beyond the deliverable.
Hana noʻeau
Skilled making
Thinking and making are not separate. The same care goes into a brand system as a beaten sheet of kapa, because making something well is its own form of knowledge.
Sphere 01
Design
Design and design-adjacent fields, for clients, brands, and communities. The goal is never decoration. It is work that is beautiful, useful, and culturally true.
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Visual Identity & Branding
Identities that carry meaning, not just a look. Logos, marks, color, and type built into a system that holds together everywhere it shows up.
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UX/UI & Web
Digital products and websites designed around the people who use them, then built to be fast, accessible, and genuinely usable.
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Digital & Print
Campaigns and collateral that tell a brand story across screens and paper, rooted in cultural authenticity rather than trend.
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Editorial & Environmental
Design that lives on the page and in space. Publications, wayfinding, and exhibition graphics that respect language, place, and the people moving through them.
Sphere 02
Art
A multidisciplinary art practice rooted in Hawaiian tradition and a continued study of making. Available for commissions, exhibitions, and collaborations across several mediums.
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Hawaiian Kapa
Barkcloth beaten by hand from wauke, watermarked and dyed with plants from the land.
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Woodworking
Carved forms and objects in native woods, shaped with the grain rather than against it.
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Illustration
Line and color in service of moʻolelo, moving between ink on paper and digital.
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Acrylic Painting
Painted work that lets color and surface carry the story on their own terms.
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Exhibition & Experience
Spatial work that unfolds as a story you move through, not just objects on a wall.
Selected work
Made, not just promised
How I work
A four-stage process
However different the medium, the path from first conversation to finished work stays steady.
- 01
Research & Strategy
I gather what the project needs, do cultural research when relevant, and shape a strategic approach. Understanding your vision, audience, and requirements builds a solid foundation.
- 02
Design & Development
Strategy becomes visual. I create concepts, develop prototypes, and refine against the objectives, working iteratively so the result aligns with your vision.
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Testing & Implementation
I test every element to be sure it works as intended, refine based on feedback, and prepare all deliverables carefully for launch.
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Evaluation & Support
After launch I evaluate how it performed, gather feedback, and provide ongoing support so the work keeps serving its purpose over time.
Working together
Ways to begin
Commissions
Original design or art work made for you, your brand, or your space.
Collaborations
Partnering with teams, organizations, and other makers on shared projects.
Workshops & facilitation
Hands-on sessions and ʻōiwi design facilitation for groups and communities.
Consultation
Guidance on culturally grounded design, brand, and creative direction.
Let's make something
Have a project, a piece, or an idea in mind?
Tell me about it. The best work starts with a conversation, not a brief.
Get in touch →