CULTURAL ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
Maiden and April Tumada
This September, our Cultural Artist Spotlight shines on Tåotåo Isla, an island-inspired jewelry brand founded by sisters and self-taught artists Maiden Venus Tumada and April Tumada.
The story of Tåotåo Isla began several years ago when Maiden started handcrafting jewelry and developing the distinctive style that would become the foundation of their work. Three years ago, April joined her sister’s creative journey, helping transform that early vision into a growing artistic practice rooted in their shared love for the Marianas.
Meaning “people of the island,” Tåotåo Isla draws inspiration—and materials—from the islands the sisters call home. Ocean-tumbled shells gathered along the shores of Saipan and the Northern Islands, local stones, natural textures, and marine-grade stainless steel are transformed into contemporary pieces that carry recognizable elements of the Marianas.
Their work offers a reminder that cultural expression does not belong only to the past. Materials found along familiar shorelines can take on new forms and meanings in the hands of contemporary artists. Through their jewelry, Maiden and April explore connections among place, memory, identity, and creativity, creating pieces that allow people to carry something of the islands with them wherever life may lead.
Passing Creativity Forward
For Maiden and April, Tåotåo Isla is about more than making something beautiful. Their work honors the places, experiences, and traditions that have shaped them while inviting others to find their own connections to the Marianas.
That commitment extends to the next generation. Through community workshops, the sisters share their handcrafting knowledge and create opportunities for others to experiment with materials, develop creative skills, and consider how artistic expression can grow from the places and cultures around them.
With every piece they create and every skill they pass on, Maiden and April demonstrate how cultural knowledge can remain alive—not simply by preserving familiar forms, but by allowing people to interpret, create, and make meaning from them in new ways.
Follow the Artists
Tåotåo Isla
Maiden Venus Tumada & April Tumada
Instagram: @taotao.isla
