PATHFINDER OF THE MONTH
Indigenous Artist Turns Old Surfboards Into Works Of Art
This appeared in The Huffington Post, 22 Sept 2015
Surfboards, skateboards, footy boots -- nothing is safe from Zachary Bennett-Brook's paintbrush.
The 24-year-old Torres Strait Islander, born and raised in Wollongong, has given Indigenous Australian art a modern twist by taking it away from the canvas and into the surfing community.
Finding inspiration in everyday life, Bennett-Brook says the process of painting objects such as recycled surfboards brings together his three main passions -- the ocean, conservation and Indigenous art.
"Aboriginal art has always been around and something I have been brought up with, but it wasn't until later in high school I decided to pick up some brushes and have a bit of a paint. I got a good response from people so I just kept doing it."
"I am a surfer so I get inspiration from the ocean. I paint on anything -- skateboards, footy boots, surfboards -- but the majority of surfboards are recycled, so no longer suitable for water unfortunately. I'm trying to put them to good use.
"Because I am Indigenous, I want to look after the land, and I work in a surf shop as well so I know what surfboards are made of and they’re not very environmentally friendly. So I wanted to make them into artworks."