Otis Carey Blends His Identity With His Surfing

Is Otis Carey not an interesting painter? What’s better, is that he isn’t constrained by a single medium. Whether it’s the ocean, canvas, or any hard-surface for that matter, the Gumbaynggirr/Bundjalung man isn’t short on opportunities to express himself. Otis signed with Billabong on a surf, art and fashion deal that was inked with the aim of weaving traditional indigenous culture with contemporary Australian surf – something Otis excels at. “I just wanna do my part and share my culture in the best possible positive way,” says Otis. “I think it’s super important to be able to have that outlet for other people to experience. I want to keep my surfing and art separate, but it’s always nice to see them side by side.” Hard to do, sure, but Otis has been successful in mastering his balance between expressing his culture through art, and his art through in surfing.