From catching my first wave, seeing my first shark, scuba diving on ancient coral reefs in remote locations far from home, to guiding friends and family halfway around the world to experience oceanic behemoths such as humpback whales, oceanic manta rays and whale sharks for their first times, the ocean has provided me with a lifetime of powerful and memorable experiences that I am forever grateful for. As a result, I have pursued activities and careers that incorporate the ocean to some extent.

My grandfather had an interest in photography but as more of a hobby than a passion. After retirement, he traveled extensively internationally documenting his experiences and sharing them with me. As a child, I had a vivid imagination and his images would transport me to faraway exotic destinations that I longed to experience. For my birthday one year, he gave me my first camera and from that moment on, I was hooked. There’s something incredibly magical, romantic and fleeting about capturing a moment in time. Over time, it only made sense to marry passions and eventually, I took a camera underwater to capture incredible moments so few are able to experience. Photography, especially underwater photography, became a therapeutic outlet in my, at times, chaotic existence. When looking through the viewfinder, waves washing over me or at 100 feet below the surface, time tends to slow down, the noise in my head disappears and I find myself centred and present. There is peace and tranquillity that both the ocean and photography can provide a person.

For several years, I lived in Asia documenting the illegal wildlife trade. In 2010, while on assignment, I uncovered Asia’s largest industrial shark finning operation. Seeing an animal I deeply care about destroyed on such a commercial level for nothing more than short-term profit caused a shift inside me. While I understand the importance of documenting the reality of the issue, at the end of the day, you have to give people hope. Images of death and destruction can only go so far. As Jacques Cousteau famously said, “people protect what they love” and I fully subscribe to his words. By utilising art and creativity to help save our oceans, we have the opportunity to connect with people on an emotional level that inspires positive action.

I grew up in a family of artists, so creativity was always encouraged as a way to express oneself as well as problem-solving. As a foreigner in Asia, it was challenging to encourage people to change tradition and culture. Art was the perfect vehicle through which to connect with people in an honest and thought-provoking manner. For centuries, public art has been utilised as a platform and communication tool for social, political and environmental issues. So, at PangeaSeed Foundation, we’re not necessarily reinventing the wheel, but organising and mobilising artists and creatives on a large-scale level to address pressing ocean environmental issues such as climate change, ocean acidification, and overfishing through public art and activism. Or as I like to call it “ARTivism”.