Saanich artist Tiare Buoys paints marine debris to turn trash into art. (Photo courtesy of Tiare Buoys)

Saanich artist and diver creates artwork from marine debris

November 16, 2021 // by Black Press Media Staff

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A Vancouver Island artist is pairing art with diving and environmentalism to advocate for cleaner oceans.

Tiare Buoys turns marine debris into artwork and has been doing so since 2018.

Buoys is a freelance photographer, underwater videographer, artist, commercial fisherman and diver who is passionate about cleaning up the watery world.

She gleans a lot of meaning from taking ocean waste and turning it into something beautiful.

“It started when my boyfriend brought me an old buoy that he found in his storage container, he asked me if I’d be able to do something with it,” Buoys says. She then painted and hung that buoy, and from there forward, people were showing interest in purchasing them, so she began her artwork on marine pieces full-time.

Buoys traces the origins of every buoy she paints, believing a deep understanding of the story behind each piece will help others find that same connection.

“I think people need to be curious about where marine debris comes from so that we can start doing better,” she says. “One way of doing that would be to choose sustainable seafood, reach out to a fisherman in your community to help you understand what’s going on in our oceans.”

Buoys is also an ocean ambassador with the Marine Stewardship Council. Learn more about Buoys’ work at tiarebuoys.com/recycled-buoy-art.

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