12/20/2025
Excited to share Polynesiacs artist profile and interview with me shot this summer out in my tiki bar. Thanks so much Tiki Tom-Tom it was so fun meeting and chatting with you!
Bob Gouveia, Sculptor, Designer
Polynesiacs Artist Interview No. 92
Tewksbury, Massachusetts
“I make special effects props. That’s how I really got into sculpting.”
“I've noticed that there's this funny connection between Tiki and special FX artists. A few like me have transitioned between the two. My side gig is mask-making, special effects, props, prosthetics, things like that. I have a shop in Lowell, the next town over. It's a big artist space. There are over 300 artists in four old buildings. I started there, but as I got heavier and heavier into Tiki, I realized I could sculpt mugs.”
“So I just started sculpting my own. And there’s more to come. I'm very new to that part. The first mug I produced is the drum from Enchanted Tiki drummers, the wooden mechanical figures from the Enchanted Tiki Room. Disney is big for me; I'm a huge Disney nut, always have been. I’ve always had that connection with the Polynesian, The Enchanted Tiki Room, and Adventureland, all that.”
“My latest mug just came out last week. It’s a Moai astronaut for a Saturn cocktail, produced by Dynasty Wholesale, and was just released for sale at Wusong Road. It’s been great creating a mug for them.”
Bob Gouveia is a sculptor and designer based in Massachusetts and the artist behind Wretched Hive Creations, a studio specializing in special FX prosthetics, masks, and props for independent films, cosplay, and collectors. With a lifelong love of Disney, Tiki, and Polynesian culture, Bob has combined his design, sculpting, and mold-making skills to move in a new creative direction through custom Tiki mug making. His work blends pop-culture fandom with traditional handcrafted Tiki art, emphasizing texture and storytelling. Each piece reflects a deep respect for handmade processes while maintaining a playful spirit.
Bob’s home Tiki bar, Hale Pukiki, “Portuguese House,” gets its name from his Madeiran ancestry and its historical ties to Hawaiian culture. In 1879, Madeiran farmers traveled to Hawaii to work on sugar plantations, bringing with them small stringed instruments that would later evolve into what we now know as the ukulele.
Find him at wretchedhivecreations.com, (IG), or Bob Gouveia (FB).
