Bongo Mini Monster by Textile Artist Terri Rehg

Description

Bursting with wild-eyed energy and topped with an explosion of black curly hair, Bongo Mini Monster greets the world with bloodshot enthusiasm. Those bulging eyes suggest either perpetual surprise or possibly too much coffee. A wide red grin and glass bead teeth add to his manic charm, while dimensional stitching creates expressive wrinkles and character lines across his gray felt face. Mounted on a custom-painted checkerboard plaque in red and black, he’s compact chaos captured in textile form.

About the Piece

The first creation in Terri Rehg’s Mini Monster Series, Bongo establishes the template for these smaller-scale plaque-mounted creatures. His wild pipe cleaner hair—each tendril individually hand-curled—creates dynamic three-dimensional texture that shifts and catches light. The custom checkerboard plaque adds graphic punch, making this piece feel like pop art meets folk art.

Materials & Construction

One-of-a-kind soft sculpture featuring hand-stitched and embroidered gray felt, dimensional facial sculpting, bloodshot painted eyes, red felt mouth, glass bead teeth, hand-curled black pipe cleaner hair, poly fill, and custom-painted 9″ wooden plaque in red and black checkerboard. The entire piece has been sealed for protection and longevity.

Dimensions

• Plaque: 9″ (oval)
• Overall with head: approximately 10″ x 8″ x 6″ deep

Display

Ready to hang. This compact wall trophy brings big personality to small spaces. Bongo’s wild hair and expressive face create visual interest from every angle, making him perfect for gallery walls, offices, or anywhere that needs a dose of quirky energy.

About the Artist

Terri Rehg is a California-based textile artist who creates whimsical characters, monsters, and dragons using mixed media. Drawing on her years in the toy industry and time working for Disney, she explores the open-ended realm of fantasy imagination through what she calls her “laboratory of quirky.” Her work combines soft sculpture, embroidery, and sculpting techniques to create creatures that blur the line between textile art and dimensional storytelling. The oldest of eight children in a tight-knit artistic family, she formerly signed her work as “Sis” (pre-2022).

Textile Artist Terri Rehg