Hidden away in a modest factory unit in Coffs Harbour’s industrial area, Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung artist and surfer Otis Carey sits cross-legged on the floor with a blank canvas sprawling out in front of him.
The famous artist wearing a shirt covered in splashes of paint is hard at work preparing for his upcoming exhibition in Sydney.
Already finished artworks are gaffer taped to the concrete walls of Carey’s studio. Their colours a mixture of pastel pinks, brilliant blues and light greens, pop against the grey of the concrete walls, while his bold black and white traditionally inspired artworks add a special feel to the space.
Carey’s latest artworks takes inspiration from something close to his heart. In fact, Carey has spent much of his life exploring it and dominating it in competition.
Otis Carey artwork from his upcoming exhibition 'Our Totem' (Source: Living Black)
The ocean; Gaagal.
“Gaagal is our clan totem for us Gumbaygnirr mob, it’s very important and it's very special. I probably wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't have it, so I'm very grateful to have that connection.”
Carey knows the ocean better than most, so it comes as no surprise that his artworks are reminiscent of the patination of wind blowing across the ripples of the ocean. But the artworks are more than simply reinterpretations of the wind and waves.
“The works use old traditional symbols and I just exaggerate them out," Carey said.
Otis Carey pastel coloured artwork from his upcoming exhibition 'Our Totem' (Source: Living Black)
Then I come over the top with a second layer, [which is like] overlapping tides; a spiritual connection to Gaagal and the two together are my interpretation of how I feel about the ocean."
Bathed in the ocean
The ocean has always been a constant in Carey’s life. The son of a prominent Coffs Harbour fisherman, and a Gumbaynggirr Bundjalung woman, Carey would find himself bathed in the ocean waters not long after he was born.
“I think maybe my parents dipping me in the water a couple days old and the ocean, being our clan totem for the Gumbaynggirr side… probably pushed me in the direction that I'm going.”
As he grew up, Carey would find himself at the beach, seemingly called by the waves. His dad seeing his interest got him his first surfboard.
Otis Carey with his parents as an infant at the beach (Source: Supplied)
“Yeah my first surfboard, I guess you could say it was love at first sight. I think I've still got it under Mum and Dad's house.”
Carey’s love of the surf continued to grow through his school years, he could often be found carving his way through the waves after school with his friends.
“Surfing didn't really come onto the radar in a love sense, it was more I liked doing it and it made me feel good and then I sort of fell in love with it because I just enjoyed it so much.”
After he finished his schooling, Carey would go on to make a name for himself in the professional circuit, seeing him travel to California and around the globe on the surfing circuit.
Otis Carey and his brother Jarwin Carey at the beach together (Source: Supplied)
In Australia, he would go onto win two Australian Indigenous Surfing Titles.
“It was a really beautiful feeling to win [the Indigenous Surfing Titles], for me the best feeling wasn't winning, it was just being around other Indigenous surfers and having that time to go surfing with everyone and share stories," he said.
"That's what meant the most to me.”
Battling the ugly side of surfing
But surfing also came with its challenges. Carey often felt alone during his travels to California, as he was often the only Indigenous surfer in a tournament.
“I wish I had other Indigenous surfers to travel with. It's kind of a hard one to explain but, when you travel, you wanna be around your family and your mob, cause they help you feel grounded."
"And I wish I had that growing up. But it's great now because there are so many Indigenous surfers, so we can all support each other.”
The ugly side of the surfing world appeared for Carey in 2014 when an Australian surfing publication made international headlines for publishing racist comments about Carey.
Otis Carey in the surf off Tonga (Source: Supplied)
“That was a really awkward situation," he said.
"If that person doing the interview was interviewing a Black NBA basketball player, they wouldn't have described them the same way. So, it was confusing for me, yeah.”
Legal action against the publication would however push the surfer to the brink.
“At the time, when I pursued legal action I was getting death threats and all sorts of vile things said about me."
"I didn't leave the house for two weeks, just 'cause I just felt so s***.
"I knew I was doing the right thing sticking up for myself, my culture, my family, but a lot of people thought it was, like, a money grab and attention seeking thing.”
Finding solace in art
In the months that followed, Carey would still find peace in his totem.
“Gaagal for me has always been quite a saviour along the way of my life path; it's always there when I've needed it.”
But peace remained hard to come by. The surfer eventually realised that he was struggling with depression after the racist backlash he’d received.
Not being one to shy away from a challenge, the talented surfer would seek new ways to help himself heal.
“I've always known that I've been very creative, and I just needed that something else to help me understand myself a little better; express myself, so I started painting and that's how I sort of first started dealing with it.”
Once he was able to make more sense of himself, Carey sought support from therapy and counselling. But the want to paint continued.
Otis Carey paiting in his studio for his upcoming exhibition 'Our Totem' (Source: Living Black)
In 2016 Carey held his first art exhibition titled ‘Ngalunggirr Miinggi’ or ‘Healing Spirit’ which he dedicated to his late grandmother.
The family matriarch had always been a source of inspiration to Carey, and even after her passing would go onto inspire countless other artworks for the artist.
“I know when Nan's with me when I'm painting. The air sort of gets hard to breathe, and you sort of feel the energy come in and then you realise who it is, it's a nice feeling.”
Otis Carey with his late Grandmother who has been the source of inspiration to the artist (Source: Supplied)
A combination of loves
In the years that followed, Carey would go onto make another four solo exhibitions showcasing his work
Meanwhile, the talented surfer would continue to compete in Indigenous Surfing competitions around Australia.
But the more Carey painted, the more he would gain international attention. Before long Carey was designing Indigenous-themed artwork for use in the surfing world including on surfboards and wetsuits.
“Billabong approached me to be one of my major sponsors. They were really supportive of what I had done against the racist stuff and they wanted to be a part of that and support me.”
Since then Carey has gone on to create numerous bespoke surfboards for the brand Stussy, and design artworks and clothing for other reputable surfing and skate brands.
“It's nice combining art and surfing because I can share that with everyone," he said.
"The range that I designed with Billabong, is all-inclusive and it's a great feeling to be able to bring the non-Indigenous community and the Indigenous community together.”
Carey’s star has continued to rise. Through a mutual friend, he would end up painting a 35 metre long mural for Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth, at his home in Byron Bay dedicated to the ocean.
Otis Carey with actor Christ Hemsworth in front of his mural 'Darrundang Gaagal' (Thanking the Ocean) (Source: Otishopecarey Instagram)
“The artwork's basically about being thankful for the ocean, cause his house sits up high and looks over the whole ocean.”
The Hemsworth connection has continued; only weeks ago Carey unveiled on his Instagram that he had designed clothing for the actor for use in the recently released Hollywood blockbuster ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’.
Gaagal
There’s no denying that Carey is an incredibly hard-working man.
Even with the deadline for his new exhibition fast approaching, Carey graciously gives up his time for Living Black’s Karla Grant to travel to his studio to get a sneak peak at the upcoming collection.
The sweeping curves and lines of the artworks instantly draw the eye as the lines seamlessly appear to intersect with the concentric circles, leaving the viewer feeling hypnotised by their simplicity and beauty.
Karla Grant speaks with Artist Otis Carey in his studio for 'Living Black' (Source: Living Black)
Upon arriving, Karla Grant is impressed by the depth of the already completed works. Asking Carey how long it takes to create some of these intricate works, the self-described ‘man of few words’ notes that it depends on the size of the piece.
“Some take a couple hours, but the really big pieces take a couple weeks."
"You can’t progress with the next layers until the first layers of paint are dry. So I just work on other projects or charity items in between but the pressure's on to get these done in time for my expo.”
Carey however, is most excited by the prospect of showing something new at his upcoming exhibition; the addition of his own bark paintings.
Otis Carey's new bark paiting for his upcoming exhibition 'Our Totem' (Source: Living Black)
“It's been really fun collecting the bark from the bush. I’ve had some mates show me how that’s traditionally done, so it’s been great learning the process of that."
"I'm really looking forward to showing everyone those works.”
Otis Carey’s ‘Our Totem’ Exhibition Opens at the China Heights Gallery & Studio in Sydney’s Surry Hills on August 12, 2022.
You can hear more from Otis Carey on Living Black, tonight on NITV at 8.30pm or catch up on SBS On Demand.
