About

Aloha!

I’m Ali Catalano, a creative and maker located on Hawai'i Island.

Originally from the east coast, I spent many years trying to find my place in cubicles and whiteboard-lined conference rooms where the “big ideas” happen. It wasn’t for me. As soon as I realized big ideas can be anywhere; and are everywhere, was the second I left and never looked back. I moved to Hawai’i in 2013 in pursuit of something different.

I started exploring sheet metal in 2018 and began learning how to work with the material. I was running a shop in downtown Kona and I would bring my brass to work, experiment, and dream about opening my own studio one day.

I started making ornaments for the holidays in the shape of the islands and then eventually all 50 states. In 2020, I started playing around with different forms of brass beyond flat sheets.

Beach combing and collecting driftwood had always been something I did when I was a kid. During this time I found myself back to beach combing and dreaming about how to combine brass with the things I found in nature. And it just…evolved.

In a way I feel like these pieces are an embodiment of me. I can be rigid. I can be tough. I can be uptight. But I also have to adapt to what’s around me. Nature requires a surrender that I have never found easy. But it teaches me something every time.

When I'm not making art, you can find me shelling down at the bay, reading, and cuddling Judy (my dog) and Mr. Bean (my cat). I believe that everything in life is art. But it's in between the art we make where the real masterpiece lives.

Thank you for being here and following along.

Ali

“I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art.” - Helena Bonham Carter