TRANSFORMATION: Paper Turned into a Petal, into a Message of Hope

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There is powerful intention in every cut, fold, crease and design that Kepola Dudoit puts in her quilling. This mindfulness sets her work apart from mass-produced similar styles, which can be described like a prayer whispered in every piece of paper that goes in the final piece.

Quilling or paper filigree uses strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs. This method can be repetitive and time-consuming, but can produce pieces that will leave viewers in awe once the elements are put together. 

Much like Kepola’s story, her life has been cut, folded, and creased as well - having spent time in the Women’s Community Correctional Center in Kailua as she fought her way through drug addiction. 

“I was houseless and slept on bus stops and beaches, and I cannot change my past, it happened already,” Kepola said. “But I made a choice. There’s always a choice. I chose to seek help.”

The frail pieces of her narrative began to glue together when she entered and graduated from YWCA O`ahu’s Fernhurst facility and took a series of Economic Advancement classes. And this was when the strips of paper transformed into a beautiful picture.

Kepola’s quilling was noticed as she became the inaugural artist featured in the J. Watumull Family Gallery at Laniakea’s lobby. It became her resolve to inspire women, empower women and use her story to give motivation to others who remain pieces of paper waiting for transformation.

Through Shop YWCA, you can be a part of Kepola’s story. Her intricate pieces will remind you that hope is never lost and that a beautiful outcome is at the end of making a choice to put pieces together.

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