About the artist
Growing up in an isolated fishing town of North-West Australia, Dean's art is a reflection of his upbringing. Son to a fisherman and his mother from a family of fruit growers, Dean unknowingly grew up with a strong connection to both the land and ocean.
Dean says "I still get those excited feelings I got as a kid, when you drive over the last crest and the ocean's blues light up your car's windscreen". His tables depict Australian beaches and coastlines, some with 3D sculptures within, which delightfully play with your eye's perception.
"I know so many of us have those feelings about our own hometown beaches. For some it's Cape Leveque, for others it's Quobba or Trigg or any other snippet of our coast. I just want to bring those good feelings into homes".
That youthful jubilance towards Australia's coastline is the basis of Flowing Wood Design's "Ocean Resin Tables". His medium of choice, epoxy resin. His canvas, reclaimed Australian hardwood slabs. Dean's style is not a photo realistic approach, but rather a more fluid style, with his seascapes flowing with the grain of the wood, paired with steel legs depicting natures rawness, his work is undeniably Australian. "Some of the timber I use are from 100+ year old trees, so I want to show the tree the respect it deserves and accentuate its best qualities". The timber element of his work is equally as remarkable as the resin painting within.
Not limited to beach themes alone but rather inspired by nature in all forms, crystals are also used to create seemingly natural geode caves in the crevices of wood, as if they had grown in that tree thousands of years ago. "I used to collect gems as a kid and was luckily enough to have an ol' gem collector by the name of Cyril teach me about gemstones and where to find them. I know many find happiness from gemstones, whether it's spiritual or purely aesthetic. Either way, if it brings you joy then bring that into your space".
An outdoors introvert, you'll find Dean outside wood working under a tree, surfing, camping, wood collecting and generally avoiding the crowd while soaking in what WA has to offer.