“Anywhere there’s surfing, there are broken boards. Anywhere there are broken boards, there’s potential for art to be created” — Hawaiian artist and sculptor, Ruben Aira Jr. lives by his philosophies. Aira sees potential in discarded surfboards and adds a completely unique tryst to them. Nonetheless, the Honolulu-based artist has been adding art to washed-off surfboards for many years now and has gained global recognition through his creativity.
Hailing from Cuba, Ruben Aira Jr. moved to the U.S. mainland with his family, and growing up, he pursued art in different forms. Aira once worked as a construction worker on a fishing boat in Alaska and then moved to Hawaii, where his interest in surfboard painting got piqued by the surfing culture present there. Since then, he is pursuing art full-time. Now, Aira has created a multitude of surfboard sculptors and became one of the most celebrated artists in the surfing universe.
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The art of surfboard sculpting
As per the report of News Now, Aira has turned hundreds of discarded surfboards into high-end works of art. Defining his passion for creating the best out of waste, the painter stated, “I wanted to take something that was repurposed and try to see what can be done with it”. Interestingly, all of Aira’s designs are displayed in a legion of galleries in Hawaii and are often bought by art lovers and collectors across the continents.
More so, Aira is the only artist who converts surfboards into beautiful art pieces. He helps to preserve the stories of the surfers who paddled through some of the most notorious wave barrels. “I think that’s where I stand out is that I’ve been able to elevate the art form and create it into a way that hasn’t been done before”, added Aira.
Nevertheless, the Honolulu painter’s artwork is hailed by the World Surf League association, and WSL selected him to design trophies for various competitions and surfing contests. Expressing his elation, the artist conceded, “The people that are in those contests come from all over the world. So when they take trophy, my trophy goes with them”. He even makes tutorial videos to teach other budding artists and preach to them the art of finding artistic flair in old and broken surfboards.
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