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Bio

Aloha! (hello) I was born and raised in the State of Hawaii. I am of part native Hawai’ian ancestry, and am a true Keiki o ka ‘aina (child of the land). My name means stricken with awe in Hawaiian and is pronounced (ee-lee-HEE ah). From an early age, I was taught the importance of the spirit of mana’o’io (respect for nature). As an adult I have combined my love for photography, jewelry making and nature with my equal desire to preserve and share the beauty of Hawaii. Initially, photography and jewelry making was a hobby. Friends encouraged me to share my art with others, and Ilihia Photography was born in 2006. Since then, I have had commissions for my photography and Jewelry from the America’s (United States, Brasil and Canada) Asia, and Europe and works from my expanding portfolio have been featured on web sites, printed publications and in some local galleries and stores. I do not have any formal training in photography or art. I simply keep my eyes and soul open to the possibilities in nature and shoot or create what feels right. I frame my shots and create my jewelry to present my view of nature to the world based on my intuition. My aim is to illustrate the profound love and respect that I have for our world around us. I believe that there is Mana (energy) in everything (land, ocean, plants, animals and people) and that this energy unites us all. I feel blessed to be able to share my work with those like a customer from Germany, who said: “Sometimes there are these amazing moments when you experience nature in a way that is beyond words. Tears come down your cheeks as you stand in gratitude and awe. Ilihia has the gift to capture these magic moments in her photographs. We are able to witness the beauty of the world through the eyes of Ilihia. All of my earring and Wire Wrapped Bracelet designs are made using all Sterling Silver. All of the Memory Wire bracelets are made using Stainless Steel. I have handpicked most of the shells from Hawaiian waters and shorelines. It takes countless hours to search for them. Once these gems of the sea have been found, I then clean, sort and drill them before using them to create unique wearable art from Hawaii. I have chosen a special Metallic paper to process all of my photographs. Metallic prints have a glossy finish and unique metallic appearance. The effect is sometimes described as “chrome on paper”. You will notice that images printed on these papers create extra visual interest and depth. You’ll enjoy extreme sharpness, brightness and color saturation with an intense black density that can only be created by using this kind of long lasting professional metallic papers. Lastly, I would like to share this thought with you: Aloha ‘aina means love of the land. It is a profound respect that we should all have for Hawai’i and the care we must take to protect our islands and all of nature. The land is the source of all that sustains us. I share this concept with everyone in hopes that you too will respect Hawaii and treat the islands with care. Mahalo! (thank you) Ilihia Female, Born on

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