Apolonio “Apo” Kalani Aquino Sr. was born and raised in Kailua-Kona. At a young age Apo’s uncles taught him how to fish to feed his large Hawaiian ohana. Back then, Kailua-Kona was just a small fishing village with very few visitors. His wife, Stephanie, is from Seattle, Washington where she grew up spending weekends on the beach of the Puget Sound. The kahakai (shore/beach) and moana (ocean) are a large part of their lives and their crafts; it is what centers them and brings them joy and fond memories. It is also about perpetuating Apo’s Hawaiian Culture and making sure that the art of net making is carried on to future generations, all while honoring the past. Apo weaves beautiful functional fishing nets “upena” as well as pieces of art. Stephanie takes her husband’s fishing nets and uses them, along with local shells, in her ceramics. Their hope is that their pieces remind people of the importance of perpetuating the Hawaiian Culture and of the true authentic spirit of aloha.
