Tikis by Mark Ley

Acrylic on paper (4 parts) with white linen mat and wood shadowbox frame

82.5" h x 31.5" w (can be hung vertically or horizontally)

Please contact for oversized shipping quote.

Growing up on Hawaii Island, Mark Ley has spent every spare moment in the ocean. Diving, surfing and exploring. When his daughter came along, he shared his love of the ocean with her and over the years, his ohana developed their own form of treasuring hunting. They scour the reefs and beaches, gathering the bits and pieces left behind by other ocean explorers. And surfboard fins, stuck in the reefs, became a favorite find.

But collecting them wasn’t enough.

These reclaimed surfboards are then used to create one-of-a-kind works of art. Using acrylic paints and carefully constructed color palettes, Mark dips the fin into the paint and then presses it onto paper—memorializing the board, the special time with his family, and cleaning the reefs—all while providing us with original works of abstract art.

“Hōlualoa Bay is a historic spot in Kona," shares Mark. "The name means "long slide" in the in Hawaiian from the long trail that went from a forest on the slopes of Hualālai (where the village is now), to a site where the logs were made into canoes into this bay where a large royal building complex was built over several centuries. There were rumors of an ancient tiger shark that called this place home for much of my childhood, we braved the wave anyway. So fun, but always dark and spooky.."

Through his work we become ocean explorers ourselves.