Who We Are
Temari is an arts organization driven by a shared, universal passion to learn, create, and connect.
Founded 43 years ago in Honolulu, Temari focuses on handmade Asian and Pacific arts, exploring their origins, discovering their foundations, and evolving techniques. We strive to provide an environment where everyone has an opportunity to connect with traditional crafts and explore new and exciting forms of art.
Our mission is to continue sharing ideas, traditional approaches, and new transformations of Asian and Pacific art forms—serving as a bridge across these rich, diverse cultures and generations past and future.
Through our workshops, festivals, and events, we support and inspire artists, teach traditional and contemporary techniques, and create a community of cultural connections.
The Temari Ball
We chose the temari ball, a Japanese folk toy, as a symbol because it’s made by hand (手 “te”), round (まる“ maru”) like the globe, and comprises patterns as infinite as individuals. Like the threads on a temari ball, when brought and woven together, the people of Temari create a richer, more colorful community.
Temari Ball photo by NanaAkua | nanaakua.jimdo.com
Where We Came From
Original Temari Logo
We started Temari in Hawaii in 1979 as an arts organization dedicated to sharing and promoting diverse cultures. At the time, learning about Western techniques like sculpture and painting was mainstream, while Asian and Pacific arts were not widely taught. We created Temari to address a deep, growing interest in Asian Pacific crafts.
Our Impact
We have worked with the local community to revive kapa (Hawaiian bark cloth) and ʻohe kapala (bamboo stamps), revitalize the craft of kadomatsu (New Year's bamboo arrangements), and made Micronesian lei making a style you now see every day in Hawaii. These are just a few of the achievements Temari has made throughout the years thanks to the tireless efforts of our teachers, students, and volunteers.
Where We're Headed
Today, we’ve evolved our logo to capture the common threads of Asian Pacific art forms. Whether it’s temari from Japan or a sipa sipa ball from the Philippines, every Asian Pacific culture has a historical handmade folk toy in the shape of a ball. Similarly, whether it’s pu’uolo in Hawaii, pojagi in Korea, or furoshiki in Japan—the same expressions of gift wrapping are expressed in each culture. Whether it’s bashofu, piña or kapa, every culture clothes and decorates themselves with fabric made from indigenous plant fibers.
When we explore these different approaches to Asia Pacific arts, there are more similarities than disparities. Even in the diversity of styles, interpretations, cultures and methods, the common threads that bind us are our shared love for exploring textiles, fibers, and customs.
That is why we have updated our Temari logo to be a more universal representation of the temari ball, removing the edges as an expression of how we are open to all cultures, and individuals. We’ve also given it a modern touch as we look ahead to our next 40 years, embracing new and younger generations so that the exchange of ideas, traditions, and cultures continue onward.