Inspired by a longtime interest in competitive surfing, this project explores the culture, history, and lifestyle surrounding the sport—an interest shaped by years of following surfing and spending time along ocean coasts and lake shores with family and friends. 

OVerview

Date

THe Challenge

How do you fit years of memories, influences, and inspiration onto a single surfboard? Thirsty Grom challenged me to turn a collection of personal photographs, found materials, and surf-culture references into one cohesive visual story—balancing nostalgia and experimentation while creating something entirely my own.

Materials

Thirsty Grom

Klair Keeley

Mixed Media on Second-Hand Grom Driver
Magazine clippings from The Surfer’s Journal, ink and mailing stamps, oil paint, personal photographs, photography by Dave “Nelly” Nelson, a dollar bill, playing cards, custom sticker, and road map, layered in resin.

Thirsty Grom grew from a longtime interest in competitive surfing and the culture surrounding it. Over the years, time spent along various shorelines and coasts deepened my appreciation for the history, creativity, and community behind the sport.

The piece brings together personal photographs collected over the years with found imagery, magazine clippings, paint, stamps, and other mixed media to create a layered collage across a second-hand surfboard. Each element was selected to reflect a different piece of surf culture—from the places and imagery to the people and creative work that have shaped it.

At its core, Thirsty Grom is both personal and referential: a collection of memories, influences, and visual details inspired by the photographers, painters, surfers, shapers, and artists whose work first drew me to the culture.

Featured influences include: Dave “Nelly” Nelson, Gerry Lopez, Kelly Slater, John John Florence, and Peter “Webby” Webb.