The studio's original name was JaqDak Studios then it was Dakjaq Studios and now the work is under IKB Arts Studio for reasons I'm not going to go into, but it had to be done. Times changed and there was once going to be more people involved in helping to keep up what seemed to be a Family thing. Now its only IKB and thats it. All the work posted in this site from myself.
Phones have advanced since then and the videos were on an ipod/cam and to upload a video back then took awhile so the tour vid didnt come out until after we had left the Arts studio. We gave it a 3 year go and after 3 years it was getting harder to keep. In the vid there's the floor where the Bone Carving took place, then going inside is where a previous business owner had built a walk-in closet and an extra office (where my wife is playing games - Age of Empires - offline). That big red air compressor on the floor is my Father in-law's (Seki's Dad) who is also a Bone Carver and taught me some designs. Some of the Bone Carving equipment is also his even though he was mostly retired from Bone Carving at that time, he still liked messing with it all when he got a chance after his job. He has stacks of carving designs being very proud of his work at one point. That red car in the parking lot is also my Father in-laws and that red buffer used to shine the carvings after sanding...and now that I think of it, he really likes red gear, tools, and equipment.
Seki is a weaver and can make baskets and Polynesian Mats (sometimes the art is resting on a Polynesian Mat) but it wasnt her calling. The Arts studio was mostly for me. When I first walk on the Studio floor there's a Book shelf made by my Grandfather. He owned a construction business when he was much younger, had carpenter skills (gave me my first tool sets), and Grandad and uncle were both military vets. He was also one of the contractors (my uncle as well) who helped build my mothers house where my sisters and I were raised.
That wooden desk in the walkin-closet was very important to me. A Christmas gift from when I was young from my mother. She was a Physical Therapist and owned the Irving Physical Therepy Clinic building next to Irving High School. When I was young, that desk is where I did homework and wrote 'sorry letters' for when I was misbehaving. Letters like... "I will not jump off the roof and make deep footprints on the front lawn or throw things off the roof to see the imprint it makes" . As I got older the desk became my study desk for different research. Since the Arts Studio wasnt too far from the Public Library, we were at the library a lot in those years which had good wifi and internet. So I would research some Polynesian History and culture (important details for the Artworks) at the library, and then come back to that desk I loved. Was working on some other online projects as well (T.M.BW.) and the library was useful. The collection of Oakley glasses and comic books started when I was a teenie (the hangout Mall years). Also theres some parts of an older Baseball collection on the shelves.
Then there was the front walkin area I used for sketching since I liked the light coming through the entrance that let me see better. After that is the back office where we watched movies and did whatever (wink) and then the kitchen. Most polys know what movie if playing if they see this video. The kitchen was also I think installed by the previous owner of the business who was there for years and years. The upstairs is where I sculpted and did other projects that needed open-air and space. Sculpting and Bone Carving can make the place very very dusty. Working on another location.
IKB Arts Studio
Talofa - Aloha - Malo e lelei - Thank you for joining us at IKB Arts Studio. Feel free to leave feedback on our Studio and Art posts, if we don't like it, we'll just delete the comments. Smiles.
