Temma Lee

Built for the swell

41 × 34 cm

Acrylic on canvas

Sold

About the work

I’m more inspired by what people can do than how they look. This one’s a nod to the surfers you might overlook on the beach until they shred.

About the artist

From surfboard sprays to UX design and back to painting, my work is a colourful nod to Aussie culture, blending cheeky observations with a touch of bogan edge—celebrating the messy, unpolished, and unapologetic side of life. I grew up on the Sunshine Coast on Gubbi Gubbi Country, where I first started painting surfboard sprays at a local shop. After a creative detour into UX design (all pixels, no paint), I found my way back through digital commissions and, more recently, painting again.

I've lived overseas in Norway, Copenhagen and London, as well as in the Central West of New South Wales. Each place has shaped how I see and interpret the world around me. These experiences have sharpened my eye for detail and deepened my appreciation for the quirks of local life, especially here on the coast where I’m now living again.

My work is playful and bold, and rooted in observations of place. I’m drawn to the oddities and charm of Australian life. Surf culture, coastlines, local hangouts and the occasional bit of bogan grit all make their way in. It’s part love letter, part light-hearted commentary on the places and communities that shape us.

For me, painting isn’t about taking things too seriously. It’s about colour, humour and nostalgia. I love capturing those familiar details that feel so uniquely Australian and turning them into something that makes people smile.

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