So I’m in a mood today, something I have the habit of getting into, the kind that had me itching to do a “Reefs In Art” post as it’s been a while. But I wanted to look for something a bit more offbeat than usual, which brings me to this – a wild, surrealist street-art painting depicting a “bird” (dude in a bird costume?), ninja turtle (?) and a portly percussionist hitching a ride on a fish eating a girl with an octopus on her head, trailed by some shimmery jellyfish. Right up my alley. The mural, brought to life on a stark black surface with UV spray paint, creating the illusion of glowing sea creatures in Kona, HI, is one of the many incredible works of David Choe. The Los Angeles, California artist of Korean descent is known for his raw, dirty style, and has an inclination to resurrect any thought that swims its way into his head, no matter how ludicrous. One of his most beloved subjects is a bucktoothed-whale he’s been spray painting since his early teens. Want to take in this off-the-wall work on its wall in Kona? Too bad, you can’t. Yup, Choe allowed this piece to stay afloat 72 hours before completely blanking the canvas.

“They tell me aloha means hello and also goodbye , so aloha to this mural it’ll be painted over by the end of the day, it got to live and breathe for 72 hours on the corner of pualani kuakini in KONA, no ack cracka jack. No matter how much hate exists for me and my art , it will never overcome how much love is inside me. The spirit of the Hawaiian nation is beautiful and healing and I’m only grateful to the people and for my time here , as axl sings “nothing lasts forever” 

Choe currently has a few books out, but the one I’m really after is his incredible watercolor compilation. However, with a nearly $1,000 price tag, I may be holding off for now. Take a look at more of David’s work over at his website, but I’ll warn you, a lot of it is very NSFW in the most wonderful way.