Menu

Tiki Masks

In Maori mythology, the traditional Tiki mask pays homage to Tiki, the first man created by the god Tūmatauenga or Tāne. Its significance cannot be underestimated in ancient Polynesian culture, representing remembrance and worship of ancestors. Tiki carvings are used by tribes to mark the boundaries of revered sites, and the mask is used to capture the sacred power of Tiki. Museums display masks to show the spiritual beliefs of traditional culture while tribes revere ancient masks as relics.

Figure 1: Traditional Polynesian Tiki.

Luckily, Tiki has been reappropriated into Polynesian Pop culture, with idols and masks featured at nightclubs, restaurants, art galleries and where we live. With the resurgence of modern Polynesian pop, the Tiki mask has become purely decorative, presiding over cocktail parties, popular bars, and aspiring mid-century modern homes. This post focuses on the physical Tiki masks created by Josh Agle (Shag) and does not examine his work in print or sculpture.


Figure 2: Corner display in the Shag Store showing two styles of hand-painted masks.

The Oxford Dictionary has the definition “a mask is a covering for all or part of the face, worn as a disguise, or to amuse or frighten others”. Tiki masks come in many different forms, shapes, and sizes – each style appealing to respective demographics and sub-cultures. Shag has co-opted the mask form into a modern commercial and illustrative style, appealing to the underground lowbrow movement favored by surfers, hot rodders, and mid-century modern fans.

Figure 3: Shag’s painted Tiki masks plus a photograph of the artist Shag beside a spirit mask.

In 2007 one hundred artists were given replica Darth Vader helmets to customise and paint. These helmets travelled to eight exhibitions over three countries (US, England and Japan) from May 2007 to May 2009. In 2010, the helmets were auctioned at Freeman’s auction house in Philadelphia with Shag’s fetching a low US$2,100. Josh Agle modded the iconic Darth Vader helmet with a Polynesian Pop Tiki style and named the piece Darth Tipua (a word from Māori mythology meaning ‘differing shaped demon’). The Helmet can be viewed on pages 8 and 9 of the Vader Project Auction Catalogue which can be seen online at the Freemans auction site.

Figure 8: Darth Tipua mask.

On 21st September 2013, a hand-carved wooden Tiki mask was released as a pair with a print. The mask was designed by Shag and hand carved by master artisans in Bali from Albasia wood. The Maka Maka mask and print were limited to 50 sets and originally cost £800 USD. The Tiki mask is sized 24” x 8” x 3.5” and the hand-pulled three-color serigraph print (signed and numbered by Shag) 22” x 15” (image 18” x 11”).

Figure 4: Maku Maku mask and print set released in 2013.

The Shag Store normally has Shag hand-painted Tiki masks available, in brown or purple/red, at US$3,000.

Figure 5: Hand-painted masks available at the Shag Store.

For the fifth anniversary of Shag: The Store on May 23rd 2015, Shag designed, cut and hand-painted fifteen different mask designs and color schemes. The bright masks retailed at US$2,000 and quickly sold out.

Figure 6: Fifteen hand-painted masks created for the fifth anniversary of Shag: The Store in 2015.

For the Jungle Drums exhibition from the 16th January to the 13th February 2016 at the Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles, Shag created six large spirit masks. The masks were manufactured from laser cut gator board with extruded polymer hair, and were hand-painted by Shag. As an example, the purple Kama spirit mask (fourth from left) cost US$2,500 and measured 31.25″ wide by 72.5″ high.

Figure 7: Six spirit masks created for the Jungle Drums exhibition.

Edit: The green mask above now lives at the Hatch restaurant, part of the Union Market complex at The District in Tustin. As well as the spirit mask, Shag designed the decor and wall coverings for the restaurant.

Along with the commercial work, Shag designed a Tiki mask to go beside his own Palm Spring’s front door but unfortunately had to bring it inside when too many sightseers come to see it. A smaller Tiki mask now watches from beside his front door.

Figure 7: Two carved wooden Tiki masks outside Josh Agle’s front door.

Shag created eighteen hand-painted Tiki mug panels for the Shag Store 8th Anniversary Celebration in 2018. Each unique panel is hand constructed, painted, and assembled by Shag. A removable wooden straw and swizzle stick are included in each 15” by 15” by 1.5” panel. The Tiki mug panels are signed on the side, have a CoA attached to their back, and retailed for US$2,288 each.

Blue Hawaiian
Chi Chi
Cobra’s Fang
Dr Funk
Fog Hunter
Head Hunter
Honi Honi
Lapu Lapu
Leilani
Mai Tai
Navy Grog
Painkiller
Puka Puka
Rum Barrel
Shark Tooth
Singapore Sling
3 Dots & a Dash
Zombie

Shag hosted the Big Kahuna Bash at Grumpy’s Bar & Grill in Roseville Minnesota on Saturday, July 27th 2019. For the event, Shag hand-painted ten Masonite and acrylic paint masks. The masks measure 5” x 8” x .75” and are hand-signed on the back.

The Crag Wall Mask was made in July 2020 as a surprise release for Comic-Con@Home in July 2020. The mask measures 21”x16”x3” with a box size of 22”x17”x4” and a cost $99. The styrene and polycarbonate decorative wall mask was produced in a limited edition of 200 and is numbered on the back of the mask and the box. The Crag is a character from Shag’s “Thrilling Threesome Plus One” superhero team and is the first of five variations of this tiki mask to be released in 2020.

Leave a Comment

%d bloggers like this: