Kapa Hawaii

Traditional artwork in a modern age

By Alyssa Fukumoto

Grind the material to make dye.Strip the bark. Pound to soften. A colleague of novice kapa toolmaker and artist Dalani Tanahy tapped her to teach a kapa-centric arts and sciences course at Nana kuli Elementary School in the late 1990s. Surprised yet thankful for the opportunity to pursue her passion, the exposure brought Dalani future commissions, steadily increasing her workflow while maintaining her passion for kapa for the next 20 years. As proud owner of Kapa Hawaii, Dalani finds herself working on commissions, teaching courses, answering inquiries and preparing collections for galleries. Read more.