It is within the relaying of moʻolelo (story, myth, and tradition) through different forms of art that we are taught about the continuous transformation of energy from one being to another.
Oli (chant),
Hula (to dance),
Mele (song),
'Ōlelo noʻeau (proverb),
Moʻolelo (story, myth, tradition),
Mo'okū'auhau (genealogy),
Carving, Weaving, Printing, Pounding Kapa, and now Pyrography.
Ka Wai Ola translates to The Life-Giving Water / A Source of Life and that's who we will always aspire to be, wai (water) that is continuously flowing and feeding. Just as water shifts into different shapes and forms, we ourselves channel these traditions as extensions of ourselves in honor of the elements that allow our systems to flow.
As children, we would chant about where to find the mystical beings that transfer water and all the different forms they show themselves in. We began to question the movements of water that we see as well as donʻt see and ask, Aia I hea ka wai a Kāne? Where is the water of Kāne?
It has become a mission through art and design to share how we and our ʻāina (land, that which feeds) are reflections of each other. Each design created is inspired by Ka Wai Ola — A source of life— and ʻike (knowledge) shared by kupuna (grand parents/ancestors) to inspire the sustenance of a healthy cycle with these natural beings that are constantly moving water through each physical and elemental form.
Each design is expressed through patterns and vibrations re-configured to share a story that resides within its essence and being. Within each creation lies a plethora of meaning with the hope to share a bit of ʻike in the artistically expressive ways our kupuna (ancestors) taught us to continuously adapt to. As a reflection of our `āina, itʻs heart warming to know that each creation resonates with each individual in their own way and relates to every journey in some way shape or form.
He ui, he ninau:
E ui aku ana au ia ʻoe,
Aia I hea ka wai a Kāne?
A query, a question,
I put to you,
Where is the water of Kāne?