Artisan: Malialuika

While local Big Island Artist Malialuika's Hawaiian ancestors settled on the Big Island hundreds of years ago, she spent much of her 60 years traveling all over the world. First,  as an Air Force brat, then as a student of Archaeology during graduate school. Later, she traveled alot interisland doing Archaeology and Hawaiian cultural impact reports for local firms, before she retired.

A lifelong artist, Malialuika used to write poetry and short stories in her younger years, followed by sculpture, bamboo stamping, Hawaiian cultural Arts, and acrylic painting during her middle years as her children matured and she attended college. As an Archaeologist, she found her Artistic skills useful as she was able to look at and draw 3D sites onto a 2D surface. While helping her son to achieve his dream, she began to discover, learn and create Art pieces as jewelry in the form of wireworking, metalwork and Resin Clay, using recycled and found pieces, powdered metals and semi precious stones.

She also continues to sculpt with a variety of metsls and clays, as well as paint and create new drawings and designs, often using technology to create more variations of design. Her subject matter has always been of a spiritual nature, embedded in cultural concepts, stories and language. Her recent work can be seen in her Wearable Culture Clothing and Accessories lines. A self described multi-medium artist, she has dabbled in various mediums, including chocolates! 

Her greatest creation, and that one thing that often brings her joy (besides her Art and her husband), is her children and grandchildren. These days, she enjoys the spark of creativity in all she does, while passing out creative ideas to all who will listen, free of charge.

She signs all her work: ME  which is an abstract of her maiden name initials: M L F