Lavinia Ketchell - Reef Mat

As saltwater people, we are culturally and spiritually connected to the ocean. The ocean provides us with food, it’s a medium of transport and is livelihood to many of us. But the Ocean is not just a commodity. The Ocean is restorative. It calms and connects us.   

By creating this artwork out of ghost nets, I want to raise awareness about the dangers of ghost nets and ocean pollution. Ghost nets are fishing nets that have been abandoned, lost or discarded in the ocean. These nets, often nearly invisible, can be left tangled on the reef or drifting in the open ocean, entangling many marine species, damaging the reefs and causing death.  

There has been a rise in the amount of ghost net accumulating in our ocean today. These nets can take hundreds of thousands of years to degrade. This artwork focuses on utilising recycled materials aimed to promote environmental conservation. It shows the fragile beauty, diversity and value of a vibrant reef while drawing attention to the human-caused threats they face. I hope that this work will serve as a reminder to the community to take care of the environment and reduce their carbon footprint. I hope this work will inspire people to create something with whatever marine debris they find on the beach or in the ocean. One piece of artwork is one piece of abandoned net that’s not floating in the ocean continuing to trap and kill many marine species. We all have a duty of care to protect the ocean and the environment around us for our children and their children.