Kepola has fought her way through a drug addiction that eventually landed her in the Women’s Community Correctional Center in Kailua. There, she was introduced to quilling — the art of rolling narrow strips of paper into coils or scrolls and arranging them to form elegant filigree. Kepola learned the very basic step of putting together a single simple flower petal while in prison.

Kepola entered YWCA Oahu’s Fernhurst facility and enrolled in the furlough/re-entry program to transition from incarceration back into the community. She took a series of classes through Dress for Success Honolulu at YWCA Oahu’s flagship building Laniākea to prepare for the next stage of her life. She was also given an opportunity to develop her quilling skills in a more complex project. “Art to me is beauty from ashes,” Kepola says. “To create something nice from nothing. Paper is just paper, but you can create something beautiful from paper.”

In 2016, Kepola was selected as the inaugural artist featured in the J. Watumull Family Gallery at Laniākea. Kepola spent 18 months on her first quilling project Empowered Beauty, inspired by YWCA Oahu’s mission “eliminating racism, empowering women.” A collection of five female figures that also celebrates the diverse people and cultures of Hawaii. While the artwork may reflect some cosmetic differences on the surface, it also shows so much that is shared in a universal sense by all women — and all people.

“I want people to think of their ancestors, how they came, what it’s like today, how it was in the past,” Kepola says. Through her work, Kepola aspires to give back to the organization that gave her back her life and hope for the future. “Find your passion because everyone has a gift,” Kepola says. “Make a choice to flourish in your passion. Dream big, empower yourself.”