C R E AT E
Three years later and a move to Perth, Australia with her boyfriend Anthony, Zee was rewarded with her first exhibition. Life in Australia however was not meant to be. Visa technicalities led to a six hour interrogation, four days in an airport detention centre, followed by deportation via Indonesia back to The Netherlands. “I laugh about it now,” says Zee, “but I certainly wasn’t laughing at the time. I had to leave my boyfriend way back in Australia to finish my exhibition and to then sell all our belongings!” What felt like seven long weeks later and the couple were reunited. Anthony secured a job as a hydrographic surveyor which would take him offshore for work, meaning the world was now Zee’s oyster in terms of where she would settle. And so Zee chose the Cornish surf mecca of Newquay, where she now creates her pieces from a small garden studio. Taking inspiration from her natural surroundings, above and below the surface, Zee uses a two-part resin that she then colours with inks and powder pigments: “I love the many coloured pots of resin that are the first part of the process. These are then poured on to Birch panels and as you pour the resin it keeps moving and
A B OV E An exciting, fluid process
INSET ‘The Lady’
flowing. Working across three continents I have found that the resin behaves very differently depending on the climate and so you’re never quite sure what the end result will be – it’s a very exciting process. Since moving to Cornwall, this has been the first time that I have been able to concentrate solely on my art, giving it my full attention, rather than having to work three or four jobs on the side.” It comes as no surprise that Zee has also managed to combine her passion for surfing with her artistry. Last year saw a collaboration with Album surfboards from California, while closer to home, local shapers such as Bos and Arbo are incorporating Zee’s designs into their boards. Alongside her resin art, Zee also creates flora-inspired wall murals. A contrast from the micro designs in the resin, these macro patterns can cover over 200 square feet of wall, as can be seen at a recent installation at Mawgan Porth, creating a dramatic effect in a swimming pool area. Zee’s work has now found homes in over fifteen different countries worldwide. underthezee.com
RIGHT ‘Jade’ closeup
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