Aloha! My name is Tani Takushi, and I am the owner of Hulali Glass. 

Hulali was a passion project, born from being immersed in the beauty of my home. I am awe-inspired by what I see, smell, hear, taste, and feel, whether it’s the vibrant blues of the ocean, the music on the streets, or the way neighbors care for neighbors. I experience beauty in millions of different forms every day, and that's what sustains me, that's what moves me to live my life purposefully and create. 

I started making glass jewelry because I love experimenting and working with my hands, but over time, I realized my creativity was a response to what I was seeing and feeling around me every day. Especially the ocean. I see it every day, but it never fails to evoke a squeal of joy from within me—the way it never looks the same, the way the light dances on its surface (hulali), the way it's both powerful and soft, the way whales travel across its vastness and its depths. There’s nothing that makes me feel happier or more alive than seeing water or being in water. 

Every time I looked at my early glass experiments I felt like I was looking at a microcosm of the ocean. I spent many months refining my design and technique, but when I finally grew confident and consistent, I added a backing and a chain. 

The result looks like a wearable drop of the sea.

This jewelry is not just for ocean lovers, it's for anyone who wants a tangible reflection of the aloha spirit. 

For me, the ocean teaches me how small I am, how insignificant I am in the face of its expansiveness and strength. However, at the same time, I feel empowered with a great sense of responsibility to care for it as it has cared for me. 

Our lives are intrinsically intertwined and interconnected with the ocean and all its creatures, and that's true for all of nature. We suffer when nature suffers, and we thrive when nature thrives because we are not separate from nature. We are nature, and we live in a reciprocal loop, which means that when we care for nature, when we care for other creatures, and when we care for our neighbors, we are caring for ourselves. 

I'll just say it again because it sounds antithetical, but contributing our time, resources, and energy to do something good for our environment or other humans, is actually the best thing we can do for ourselves. 

I am grateful to have been raised by this Island, a place that aligns so deeply with my goal to make jewelry that feels simple, wearable, and meaningful in a small way. When you wear Hulali, I hope you never forget that beauty is everywhere, that we are all part of it, and have a responsibility to live into it. When we let our humanity shine, we are living according to our truest human nature, and I want Hulali Glass to be a reminder of that. So, “E ʻālohilohi kou mālamalama!”—let your light shine!

With plenty love and aloha,

Tani Takushi