When was the last time a Cornwall-based artist collaborated with one of the top surfboard shapers and surfers of our modern times?
You’ve probably heard that Hawaiian ripper Coco Ho has launched her own surfboard brand called XO COCO, a post-WSL CT endeavour to bolster the Ho coiffeurs and create true works of art.
Recently Matt and Coco teamed up with Zee Van Gils, an artist creating abstract art from her home in North Cornwall. A whole bunch of her designs will now feature on the XO COCO range — boards designed specifically for women, with the shapes and dimensions adapted to female surfers. All the shaping in Australia specifically is carried out by Avalon Starick, a young female shaper with an incredibly detailed eye — and leading the charge for the XO COCO brand.
Board one and board two.
The collaboration came about when Zee met Matt Parker, of Album Surfboards, in Indonesia, and an initial partnership was launched a few years back. Matt has now come on board to help out with shaping for XO COCO in the US. “When I saw that Coco was in the process of launching XO COCO with Matt, I immediately knew I had to work with them and I was so excited that they were both super keen,” said Zee.
“So, here we are. Using four different artworks I made specifically for the collaboration, we created four unique boards, two of which are available via XO, and the other two are part of Coco’s personal quiver.”
Home is where the studio is.
As for Zee’s inspiration: “Although each piece is different, they all have a similar colour palette of peachy pinks and deep turquoise, with champagne and silver metallic accents that reflect the light,” said Zee. “I merged smooth gradient hues with intricate detailed sections inspired by sunrise skies and coral reefs. These pieces needed to really ‘pop’ and create a pleasing and balanced composition on the boards, so I also studied the delicious XO brand colours before deciding on the artwork palettes.
“At my studio in Cornwall, my partner Ant shot the artworks and created high resolution close-up images of the originals, which were printed onto special fibreglass. Over in California, Matt glassed the inlays onto the boards.”
And what’s it like designing for Coco? “That’s honestly one of the most exciting parts of this collaboration for me – Coco has always been one of my favourite surfers,” said Zee. “She makes it look effortless and stylish yet powerful. Since she started riding alternative boards, her surfing looks even more fluid – and you can tell she’s just having fun, which is exactly what XO is all about. She seems really aligned in everything she’s working on while carving out her own path, and that’s incredibly inspiring to watch.
Just a couple of whips, design from the shores of Kernow.
“This collab truly is kind of mind-blowing for someone like me, who grew up in a small land-locked village in The Netherlands. It feels like a big full-circle moment; from the Lombok shaping bay days creating art on boards, to working with Album and now Coco Ho and XO. This is what being an artist is about for me, there are no limits, no ceiling, We can dream up big ideas and bring them to life.”
Growing up, Zee was always crafting and creating but had her full creative awakening in Lombok, way back in pre-COVID’s 2015. “The shapers at Banyu took me under their wing and taught me how to glass boards using resin; the medium I instantly became obsessed with.
The resin process is part of it all too.
“Living on an island surrounded by raw natural beauty, inspiration was everywhere. Surfing perfect waves, observing reef patterns and breaking waves as seen from clifftops, hours spent snorkeling and watching waves breaking from below the surface, tropical flora and fauna. I couldn’t help but see the connection between the organic patterns in resin and everything I experienced around me.” During this time, Zee first collaborated with Matt and the connection was solidified.
From there? “My partner and I moved to Western Australia where I held my first exhibition, and later that year we relocated back to Cornwall where he grew up, which has been our base ever since. I now have a new studio in the garden which is absolute heaven, and my work continues to be inspired by the ever-changing colours, textures and seasons of this incredible part of the world, as well as the travels that shape me.” Follow along Zee’s journey by going here.
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