The Art of Kintsugi and surfboards

Resurrected Boards: Turning Surfboard Scraps into Icons of Art

There’s something poetic about rescuing a broken surfboard from the street or a dumpster—discarded, written off—and giving it new life. Much like the Japanese art of kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold to highlight, rather than hide, its imperfections, I transform these fractured surfboards into bold, arresting art pieces that tell a new story.

Surfboards are symbols of freedom, nature, and rebellion—qualities that resonate deeply with me and the women who inspire my work. Rather than seeing these damaged boards as trash, I see them as blank canvases for revival. Each board becomes a portal for layered storytelling, tactile reinvention, and the fusion of feminine iconography and raw history.

The Bardot Board

One of my most emotionally layered pieces is the Brigitte Bardot surfboard. It’s a visual explosion—collage, paint, and found imagery that merge into a saint-like portrait of Bardot, raw and unapologetic. She stands crowned and illuminated, surrounded by eclectic icons of pop culture, religion, and femininity. This board isn’t just a tribute to Bardot—it’s a reclamation of female power, vulnerability, and the divine within the discarded.

The Kate Moss Board

In contrast, the Kate Moss board embodies confidence and sensuality. Painted in muted tones, it echoes the boldness of the 90s supermodel era. Kate gazes defiantly ahead, nude but unafraid, a modern Venus. She stands above six foot and is now in an artcollectors designer home.

Sustainability Meets Art

My process starts in unexpected places—laneways, garage clear-outs, even council clean-up days. Each surfboard I rescue has a history, an energy. By painting, collaging, and restoring them, I give them a second existence. This is slow art, intentional art, and most importantly, sustainable art.

I hope these pieces spark conversations: about beauty, consumerism, loss, and transformation. About the power of reinvention—of women, of materials, of narratives.

You can explore more of these bespoke boards and their stories on my site:
👉 fionamaclean.com/bespoke-surfboards