Artist Profile: Tiki Racer

Artist Profile: Tiki Racer

A heady cocktail of lowbrow exotica Tiki hotrod art rooted in a love of toys, films, music and fashion from the fifties and sixties


Yep, that's Tiki Racer, an artist with whom regular readers of this blog should be quite familiar. He helped make Zombruary 2007 more interesting and put a ton of thought and elbow grease into the Tiki London project. In fact, content about, by or because of Tiki Racer has at times been integral to this blog ... which is a good thing because I really like his art.



He's prolific too, and that impresses me. From designing the logo and menu (and even mugs) for one of London's hottest night clubs to dabbling in lino, TR seems to have the uncanny sense of getting his head round just about any new medium he decides to tinker with.

Visit the Polynesian speedster online at tikiracer.com. Go!

More London Luau photos!

Click here to visit TikiSavage.com and see more great pics from the London Luau!

London Luau 2007 Photos

I finally found the time to go through some of my London Luau photos. What a fun weekend! The best thing about it, of course, was just getting to hang out with good friends. Make sure to check out the Summer 2007 issue of Tiki Magazine for more photos as well as my review of this year's London Luau.

Tiki London: Mahiki

For our upcoming Tiki London limited edition print, Tiki Racer and I came up with a list of London's 10 Most Tiki Landmarks. Next on our list (in alphabetical order) is Mayfair hot spot, Mahiki.

Mahiki is London's newest Tiki bar - and also it's trendiest - attracting the likes of Madonna, Paris Hilton, and Prince Harry. And, like the great tiki drinks establishments of yore, Mahiki has a beautifully illustrated drinks menu designed by Tiki Racer.

Check back soon for the next in our list of London's 10 Most Tiki Landmarks and for more details about the Tiki London limited edition print.















The Tiki London limited edition print will first go on sale at the 2007 London Luau.

Mahiki in the New York Times

Geez Mahiki's getting a lot of press. I don't think anything even remotely Polynesian Pop has gotten this much press in decades! Interesting.

A Tiki Bar Fit for a Prince
By LIZA GHORBANI
Photograph by Steve Forrest for The New York Times
New York Times
Published: March 11, 2007








Nearly every morning, the British papers run over with tales from Mahiki, this kitschy two-level court in central London’s Mayfair district, like how much money Prince Harry and his friends spent (on one night last month, about $21,000), and which pop icons were spotted in the corner. (Madonna and Guy Ritchie reportedly spent two hours there discussing the state of African orphans with the prince, who will soon trade his clubgoing for military service in Iraq.)

Click here for complete article.

Wondering why you can't get into Mahiki?

This might have something to do with it:

How to make a zombie mug (Z07.22)

Check out this very cool new (as in released today) mug by Zombruary sponsor Tiki Racer!









Click here to get your own Limited Edition Zombie Mug Set (only 50 available through CheekyTiki) or make a trek over to Mahiki where these bad boys will soon be in use.














Click here for Tiki Racer's step-by-step blog on how he made this killer mug.
















Zombruary 2007 is sponsored by Tiki Racer.

Breaking News: Zombie Attack in London Tiki Bar (Z07.20)

Zombruary 2007 is sponsored by Tiki Racer.

Prince Harry et al at l’esculsivo Mahiki Club

Wow. Rich and powerful people at Mahiki. Even the Italian papers are taking notice. Thanks to Emiana for pointing me in the direction of these articles.

Harry out on the town... again
By JAMIE PYATTand TOM REILLY
Sun Online
February 08, 2007

[Prince Harry] ... arrives at trendy Mahiki nightclub in London’s Mayfair with 15 pals including Guy Pelly and ex-girlfriend Natalie Pinkham. They meet Madonna and hubby Guy Ritchie in club. Glamour model Dita Von Teese and Big Brother’s Donny Tourette, from punk band Towers of London, are also present.

Click here for complete article.

Principe Harry, notte brava con Madonna
Dallo stadio alla festa in discoteca con la popstar: la nottata del giovane Windsor (annaffiata dall'alcol) raccontata dal Sun
Corriere della Serra
09 febbraio 2007

Alle 22 Harry lascia il terreno di gioco e un’ora e mezzo dopo, presumibilmente rimandati i commilitoni in caserma, si presenta all’esculsivo Mahiki Club insieme a 15 amici tra cui la ex Natalie Pinkham (la fidanzata Chelsy Davy è impegnata in un lungo viaggio); tra gli altri clienti Madonna con il marito Guy Ritchie e la modella Dita von Teese.

Click here for complete article.

Talking about blogs over a few Mai Tais at Mahiki

Earlier this month, I met up with a few fellow bloggers - MrBaliHai (who arranged the meet-up), The Cartoonist, and Plep - for drinks at Mahiki. Below are some photos from the night as well as a link to MrBaliHai's post about our evening.

London 2006: Tiki
Posted by MrBaliHai
Eye of the Goof
December 10, 2006 04:54 AM





















Photography by MrBaliHai © 2006

Click here for MrBaliHai's complete post.

London's tiki bar wars?

Yesterday's edition of thelondonpaper had a little blurb on page 13 about the opening of Mahiki putting "the wind up the management of London's ... Trader Vic's." According to the article, Trader Vic's has hired "Gordon Ramsay's PR company, Sauce Communications, to remind the world of its existence."

What's all this mean for tiki enthusiasts looking for a decent Mai Tai in an evocative setting? I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

London press lovin' the Polynesian Pop

With the opening of Mahiki, the big boys of London press seem to be going kuku for Polynesian Pop!

Clubland goes back to basics
Mahiki is at 1 Dover Street, W1, 020 7493 9529
thelondonpaper
Posted 23 November 2006, 17:52









Mahiki is a Tiki bar, a kind of kitsch Polynesian theme bar popular in the States for years, but never really explored in Britain.

Click here for complete article.

Tiki bar revival
Time Out hoicks up its hula and embraces the trend for all things South Pacific
Time Out
Wednesday November 22, 2006














Now, it seems the rise in rum drinking is putting tiki back on the radar ...

Click here for complete article.

Mahiki menu illustration

Just in case you haven't heard, there's a new tiki bar in London - Mahiki. And, like the great tiki drinks establishments of yore, Mahiki has a beautifully illustrated drinks menu. The artwork for the menu (as well as the branding and a range of promotional postcards) is the work of "low brow tiki, hot rod artist" Tiki Racer.

Have a look at the menu ...


... and the logo, which Tiki Racer describes as a "mix of traditional tiki and Mayfair class."








Click here to visit the Tiki Racer website.

Coming soon to London's Mayfair: Mahiki

UPDATED December 6, 2006: Mahiki now open.

Mahiki
Tropical Cocktails and Island Grill

New tiki bar designed and fitted by CheekyTiki opening soon!

Check back for details or join the CheekyTiki mailing list for the latest updates!