A Guide to the Best of Southern California : DESIGN : Art on Wheels

Haiti’s city streets are teeming with people: artists hawking their work, houngans selling amulets, clergymen and scads of families, on foot and in carts, going places and doing things.

Everything appears to be painted in bright colors--houses, shops, churches and wagons. But nothing is adorned quite so merrily and thoroughly as the Haitian buses. If you’ve ever ridden in one, you know the procedure: A gentle tap on the driver’s shoulder is the signal to stop. And because each tap is a stop, the bus takes its time.

The papier-mache tap-taps from the Galerie Lakaye are delightful little replicas of these wonderful Haitian buses, every surface painted in a primary color, protected by a variety of religious slogans and complete with passengers peeking out of windows. No two are alike, and each one is handcrafted and -painted and signed by the artist. Tap-taps come in two sizes, starting at $32, and are a charming addition to any room--jauntily perched on a bookcase or adorning a wall.

Galerie Lakaye, 1550 N. Curson Ave., Los Angeles; (213) 850-6188.