I’m always excited to see new ideas when it comes to tiki, especially tiki mugs. Mugs from Lowtiki have a distinct style pulling from the spooky, the tropical and the beautiful. Sam, is the woman behind these incredible mugs and she’s from the Pacific North West just like me and when you live in a city that rains nine months out of the years, Sam’s mugs brighten the day! Here’s is Sam’s story…
What is the tiki scene like where you live?
Sam- The tiki scene in my area consists of my house. I am regularly in the Portland or Seattle area to visit family, so I get my fix there.
What brought you into the ‘Tiki lifestyle” and how long has it been part of your life?
Sam- My husband, so about six years now. My mother in law and him are both into mug collecting. She makes the best syrups and orgeat, and my husband makes the best drinks. (Don’t ever drink anything I make, it’s usually terrible.)
We both share a love of vintage items, so when we started dating and thrifting together I became interested in the vintage mugs.
Can you give a little history of how you became a tug mug artist?
Sam- Art has always been my life. My mom was the woman of a million talents so I spent my childhood immersed in art. My main focus was painting and illustrating for most of my adult life. I dabbled a bit in pottery in my late teens early 20’s but I honestly just found it frustrating.
When I first got into tiki, I started making velvet paintings. It began with just making things I wanted to have in my collection that fit into our decor and I found my footing there. My husband encouraged me to make a mug, again, because there were things I wanted to see made but hadn’t been yet. Once I found the right medium for sculpting everything clicked.
How would you describe your style?
Sam- I’m not quite sure what my style would be. It’s definitely not traditional, and not modernist. Far from minimalist! Is haunted rainforest a style?
Who or what would be some of your influences?
Sam- Influences can come from everyday items. I love mid-century items particularly. Everything was made to be functional and beautiful. It’s probably the most disappointing thing about modern items. Everyone should have pink toilets. Let’s bring that back.
Japanese soft vinyl toys, both vintage and modern. I adore. I love seeing what is living in people’s heads come to life. Toys are fun & cute but they’re also so fascinating and beautiful. The colors in particular, my biggest frustration with ceramic glaze is I find it to be limiting at times. We need Day-Glo options.
When making mugs a lot of my ideas start with something someone shared with me that they love. I often add in floral details because of all the flowers and plants in Hawaii my aunty shared with me. Some of my favorite memories would be walking around Keokea with her identifying all the plants and telling me stories connected with them or the areas they were growing.
I have this Buddha my grandma brought to the states from Japan. I have adored since I was a kid. The form of it, the line work. I find myself recreating the creases of its robe in things. It just has a perfect flow to it.
Then my husband has introduced me to so many movies he loves. I am enamored with the ghosts, Kaiju, and monsters from the films he has shared with me. The older ones, when they still used practical effects. I imagine making those were just incredibly fun. Mantango & Spook Warfare in particular. They’re so fun but there’s this eerie beauty to them. I want everything I make to be eerie and beautiful like that.
What is your favorite Tike drink?
Sam- That is a toss-up between a Zombie, with fresh grapefruit not grapefruit syrup or a Chi-Chi, but has to have macadamia nut liquor in it.
What does the future hold for you and your tike mugs?
Sam- Hopefully lots! I’m currently working on a series of my favorite Yokai that I am really excited about. There’s some other ideas I want to play around with, not mugs but mug adjacent.
I also want to be able to start offering items at a variety of prices too, I think tiki mugs should be accessible to anyone who wants them at any budget. That may mean smaller or simpler items or maybe imports, I’m not sure yet. Definitely will continue to hand-sculpt and make in studio as long as my hands will let me though. We will be doing Tiki Kon this year, I am really stoked on that, it will be my first time vending. As a bonus, it will be nice to test the waters at a PNW event.
Anything else you would like to add?
Sam- I guess just how thankful I am for everyone and their support. Even just hearing from people, like having other people get as excited as me about something I am working on is such a cool feeling. Sharing something you create can be a little terrifying. Every time I send out a batch of mugs I’m just thinking shit I hope they love it. Then the next time I release a mug I see all the familiar names coming back up again, I don’t think I can put into words how elated I am. Like thank you! You didn’t hate it!
I especially love seeing photos of the mugs in their new homes, or out on adventures at different bars. It’s so rad.
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