Al Lagunero’s pilgrimages to holy places in north, central, and south America, Japan, Korea, Italy, France, Belgium, and Spain inform his art. Lagunero has spent many years in the art industry as a freelance illustrator, artist, gallery owner, chair of the Olowalu Cultural Reserve; and member of the Keomailani Hanapi Foundation (KHF) started by Hiko Hanapi in Waimea, Hawai‘i Island. KHF started the first Hawaiian art school, HOEA: Hawaiian ‘Ohana for Education in the Arts, as a prototype project. Since 1959, he has exhibited in local, national, and international venues, with numerous purchases, placements, and recognitions of his work. He has volunteered in the community in the areas of arts, sciences, and spirituality since he was a child. In 2008, Lagunero received the Maoli Arts Month award for his lifetime of dedication to Native Hawaiian visual arts.

“When I was younger, I knew before starting what I wanted to capture by painting. As I grew, painting became a mission, an objective, a goal. Achievements changed the innerscape to survival mode consciously and unconsciously. It was important to be seen and understood as Maoli in Hawai‘i — to grow the beauty that we are. Now, at 79, I paint to satisfy my na‘au and invite warmth. What I seek, seeks me. Mai ka pō mai, mai kinohi mai. Hu! Aloha nō.”