About . Daryn McBride

While Daryn is an artist in every sense, he prefers the term Creative. He feels that calling himself an “artist” can be limiting — suggesting a single style or medium — whereas his practice spans a wide and ever-evolving range of forms.

His creative work includes hand-rendered and digital illustration, painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, graphic design, branding, and logo development.

As a former professional longboard surfer, Daryn spent most of his competitive career riding boards he designed and shaped himself. While he doesn’t consider himself a production surfboard shaper — a title traditionally reserved for the pioneers of the craft — he prefers to see his boards as sculptural, rideable works of art.

A brief history

I have been working as a ‘Graphic Designer’, primarily in the surfing industry for the past 20 years, branding surf companies from New Zealand, to Australia, England, and the USA. Skilled and experienced in Adobe Creative suite.
I have studied both the fine and graphic arts (diploma level – Fine art – Wairakei Polytechnic Rotorua from 1993 to 1996, there was a strong indigenous core to the program, two and a half years commuting from Mount Maunganui, Graphic Design, BOP Polytechnic)
In the summer of 2009/10, I spent five weeks in a small industrial city in China, teaching surfboard manufacturing for an Australian-owned fiberglass and engineering company. After completing my three-month contract, I was offered a permanent position. However, since it would have required relocating my family to Hong Kong, I chose not to take the role.
Creative skills include – Illustration, Screen Printing, Fine Art, Sculpture, Surfboard Manufacturing, Photography, Branding and Marketing.
Creative and entrepreneurial net- worker, who often looks beyond the square for creative design solutions and original marketing strategies.
Goal driven focused and committed; when I put my mind to achieving something I will stop at nothing to achieve the desired result.

Loyal and honest, I relate well to people from all walks of life.

Career Highlights

2004 Aotea Exhibition. A group show with two exceptionally talented artists (Darren Keith and Dan Cooper), hosted by the Edge Gallery, Aotea Center, Auckland. The exhibition was displayed for 4 weeks and as a promotion for the show one of my artwork’s appeared on digital billboards in the Auckland’s CBD.

2014 Invited to an 8-week artist residency at the Deus Temple of Enthusiasm in Bali, which included a solo exhibition at the Temple Gallery in Canggu. The show ran for a month, and featured work created during the residency. I was also part of the Guest Shaper Program, shaping a dozen longboards under the collaborative label Daryn McBride for Deus, joining a select group of respected surfboard shapers from around the world.

As a bonus, I was also invited to take part in the annual 9ft and Single Invitational Longboard surfing contest, a specialist event where making the list of international invites was a huge honour.

I managed my professional surfing career independently, securing sponsorships for salary, travel, and endorsements. In 2009, I was ranked #1 in New Zealand and placed 9th at the ISA World Surfing Games in Portugal. I continue to compete in select high-level invitational events.

Personal Statement

Having spent much of my life exploring the ocean through surfing, the act of wave riding has always been the main attraction. But a powerful fringe benefit has been the shift in perspective it brings. Viewing the land from sea level — especially in those golden morning hours — reveals colours and reflections you might otherwise miss. The ocean becomes a mirror, offering a fleeting glimpse of the world beyond the waves and reminding me of the connection between land, sea, and self.