Hey La, Hey La, My Gecko’s Back

My beloved Gecko tiki has returned home!

In 2002, the artist Gecko was so excited about having recently joined the Tiki Central community that he offered to create a limited edition Tangaroa wall panel for anyone at Tiki Central who wanted one. It was offered at a very generous price for such a large panel: only $60. It would become the first of many limited edition artworks from Gecko (back then, a limited edition of 50 items of anything would sell out in weeks, not minutes), and it generated not only a flurry of interest, but also some very good aloha feelings.

I will put your usernames on them to make them special. So when we grow old and gray or gone [through] the Tikigates of heaven our next [Tikiphiles] will be collecting our wall panels and saying “WOW! Do you see that old TC edition wall panel of Kokomo Tikibar&Grill on ebay”!

– Gecko, Sept. 2002, Tiki Central

Gecko had been carving for several years when he joined Tiki Central, and shortly after making these wall panels he was able to focus on art full-time with Gecko’z South Sea Art. In addition to carving, he now creates beautiful tiki mugs and other ceramic pieces.

I loved my Gecko tiki (#18 of 50), and gave it center stage in my home tiki bar at the time, the Humuhumu Room (the source of my name). When I moved away from Seattle in 2003, I was worried about how it would fare in the storage container, and there wasn’t room for it in my Miata. My dear friend Mimi has held onto it for me all this time. Now that I have room for another home tiki bar, it has returned to me, Modesty Tapa and all!