“So you’re a full-time Tiki artist?” I asked. David grinned. “Pretty much. I’ve been a full-time artist forever, but I happen to have a day job.”
Creating art in the Tiki world likely won’t pay the bills. But David has found a way to balance his passions and his livelihood. David designs furniture for a commercial company during the workday. Nights and weekends, you’ll find him hard at work on Witco-inspired tiki lights, portholes with sea monkeys, or Tiki-inspired shelving. Have you ever seen the iconic Martini Lamp offered by DSKDesigns? That’s David’s design and craftsmanship. His past work – designing lamps, toys, and commercial bars – all combined to form a diversified skill set. Many a Polynesiac has one of David’s creations in their home bars. Each lamp or porthole is unique, with personal touches based on the client’s interests. As we got to talking, David began to list all of the multiple projects he’s been involved with over the past two decades. It was more than impressive. And it seemed to me that he really had two full-time gigs – one that feeds his passions and one that feeds his belly.
“I run an art show out of the Hala Kahiki. It’s called Lowbrow Aloha,” David offered as we walked up the stairs.
As we entered Headhunter Hideaway, David shared how he had started an event to foster the region’s Tiki arts community. Back in 2016, David started Lowbrow Aloha – now considered the Midwest’s premiere Tiki and lowbrow art show. The event occurs every spring, summer, and fall (sometimes around the holidays) at the historic Hala Kahiki. The popular event draws in artists, craftspeople, and vintage vendors across the Midwest.
Why start an art show? David wanted something in the Midwest that rivaled what the West Coast Tiki crowd had enjoyed for years. “We had nothing here for a long time. It was like a desert, like a creative desert.” Interestingly, David decided to organize the first Lowbrow Aloha when he didn’t even know his own artistic direction. At the time, David felt “jammed up.” David was neglecting his creative muse. He used all his time and energy to repair chalkware lamps and restore vintage finds. It paid the bills but didn’t feed his artistic spirit, so he had to change course.
David figured organizing the art show would not only get him unstuck but would also serve a good purpose. He knew that the Midwest had a lot of talented people who weren’t getting enough exposure. These artists deserved more recognition and opportunities. He also knew from personal experience that artists struggle with self-promotion. Lowbrow Aloha could change that. When he approached Hala Kahiki, the youngest son had just taken over, and they were open to new ideas. It was an ideal partnership. David would recruit the artists and run the show, and Hala Kahiki’s staff would handle all the other details. While the Hala Kahiki made preparations, David reached out exclusively to Midwest artists. The partnership paid off. When Lowbrow Aloha finally happened, it was a huge success.
At that first show, David didn’t sell anything. He didn’t have a booth, and he didn’t care. He just wanted to organize the show as his creative outlet. By the second show, though, David had set up a table and made some Tiki art. One show led to the next, and each sale led to another. Soon, David had orders to keep him plenty busy throughout the year. Ten years later, David continues to make custom, handmade retro-atomic, Pop-Polynesian, mid-century-style functional art with new orders constantly coming in.
I had the good fortune to visit David and Lorie at their home in Berwyn, Illinois. It was a two-for-one jackpot, as the couple has two home Tiki bars. The Islander Lounge, the first to be built, occupies the back porch and exudes a Florida-Tiki style with touches of calypso and nautical. Up the circular wooden staircase, you’ll find the Headhunter Hideaway, a converted attic chock full of treasures, black velvets, and vintage authentic Tiki. Lorie’s music and pin-up fashion influences blend into David’s Pop Polynesian collection perfectly. The couple spends cold Chicago winters upstairs in the Hideaway attic and cool summers in the Islander Lounge. In other words, it’s idyllic at David and Lorie’s, no matter the season. I can attest.
Was it Confucius or Twain who said, “Choose work you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life?” I’m not sure I believe that, but it doesn’t matter. Whether he intends to embody that philosophy or not, it seems like David has come pretty close.
