Introducing: A creative collaboration with Ant and Zee
We’d like to introduce you to Zee and Ant, whom we’ve entered into a creative collaboration with. The pair have been living in Cornwall for several years after working and traveling the world together. They are now supporting the Wild Swimming Cornwall project with their photography, which we think encapsulates the magic of wild swimming and showcases the beauty of the Cornish coastline. To learn more about the duo, read below.
First up, a little bit about you both?
Ant: I’m a 33 year old from the UK’s South Coast. Since I was about 10, surfing has been the compass to most decisions I have ever made; whether that’s for a place to call home, travel, study or work. I spend half of my time out to sea and the other half I try to spend in it. Whether that’s surfing, bodysurfing, going for a cold water swim or taking photos of waves. When my feet are on the ground, I love to warm up with a good coffee, calm my mind with some Hardcore Punk and cuddle random people’s dogs with or without their permission.
Zee: I’m a 31-year old human currently living in Newquay. Growing up landlocked in The Netherlands, the ocean sent me on a journey of (self-) discovery in 2014; when I learnt to surf in Indonesia. Lombok became my home when I met Anthony and I also then discovered my passion for art, which I’ve since turned into my career. The sea is where I go when I need inspiration, to enjoy and celebrate life, to contemplate, to push my comfort zone, to ground myself and find stillness. When I’m not losing track of time in the studio or in the sea, I also love walking our neighbour’s dog all over Cornwall’s coastal paths and spending time with friends.
Ant and Zee share a love for both surfing and cold water swimming
Why do you live in Cornwall?
Ant: I originally moved to Cornwall from Boscombe in 2007 to study Hydrography and also for the surf. In 2013 I left Cornwall for Indonesia where Zee and I met and lived for 4+ years. We planned on setting up a life in Australia but our journey was cut short after 6 months when Zee ended up in an orange vest and found herself being detained in and deported from Australia. We spent some months apart not knowing when we would see each other again. After being reunited in the Netherlands, I was offered a job two days later as a Hydrographic surveyor for a company in Sweden. This job allows me to live anywhere in the EU so we naturally gravitated to the surf and a place I once called home: Newquay.
Zee: My arrival in Cornwall was a little unorthodox and unplanned, as our life in Australia was just starting to take shape. Ant was offered a job in Perth which would provide us both with a 4-year work visa. During this process, I went back to Indonesia for a visit. On my flight back to Perth, it just so happened that Mount Agung in Bali erupted. Additionally, I was refused entry back into Perth due to visa complications and I was removed from the country. Due to the eruption, all flights were cancelled and I was held in detention until the dust settled (literally). I ended up back in the Netherlands with my family having no idea what to do next. In hindsight, the whole situation was a blessing in disguise and a full 180. Upon arrival in Newquay, I decided to rent an art studio where I could focus solely on my creative work, which quickly turned into my full-time career. Although I am definitely not made for a cold climate, I have really felt at home here thanks to my friends, my work and being by the sea.
Ant is interested in both hydrography and photography
What inspired each of you to go cold water swimming?
Ant: When the winter came around in Australia, the daunting feeling of getting back into a wetsuit again was real. So for me it was a gradual way of getting used to the colder temperatures before needing to buy a wetsuit for the longer surfs and swims. We started going for sunrise dips and I really enjoyed photographing the shorebreaks.
Zee: I actually didn’t know wild swimming was ‘a thing’ because I did it for a few years before coming to the UK. Of course the waters in Indonesia and Australia are a bit more inviting year-round (minus the sharks) but during the winter in Perth it got significantly colder. I just kept going in the sea regardless of the dropping temperatures, because I loved the shocking feeling of it; like a mental reset. I would cycle or run to the beach before sunrise to get a quick dip in. The dramatic skies at dawn and dusk in WA are something else… and we often spotted wild dolphins while we were in the water.
It was in Cornwall where I realised that cold water wild swimming was becoming a real movement. My friends here are always up for an outdoor adventure too and during the development of these friendships, we just started incorporating the cold dips into our meet-ups. It’s a lot more motivating to go with a friend especially during the colder months. We often make a whole thing of it; we bring cosy hot drinks, a picnic, warm robies and we sometimes even make a fire to enjoy afterwards.
Zee works as an artist and enjoys regular swims along the Cornish coastline
What has been the impact / why do you keep swimming?
Ant: There is something to be said about overcoming extreme discomfort to the point in which it becomes manageable and somewhat enjoyable. I did the 10-week Wim Hof Breathing course combined with cold water immersion, which really challenged and helped me both mentally and physically. I work on a ‘month on - month off’ rotation and when I’m off work, I love getting back into these healthy routines and spending as much time in nature as possible.
Zee: I don’t think swimming has had a bigger impact than surfing has, but I really do love the cold water dips as a fix for the days where there are no waves, as a refreshing break during a long hike, or just to break up the day and reset my mind. I honestly don’t really do distance swims, simply because I’m not a great swimmer. For me it’s more about the immersion itself and the endurance to overcome the discomfort that makes it worthwhile.
Both Ant and Zee enjoy pushing through the discomfort that comes with cold water immersion
What inspired you to start photographing swimming in the ocean?
Ant: I’ve been shooting waves for quite a few years now, ever since we lived in Lombok. However the bathymetry, waves and sea conditions here in Cornwall are not as consistent for the underwater/barrel images I would typically capture. I have learnt to see the conditions here with a different perspective and appreciate the colder waters, often wild conditions and vibrant skies in any shape or form. I therefore almost always have my camera with me when we go on day trips. Zee and I love hiking the Cornish coastal paths for hours and we often stop for a dip on the way; that’s when I spontaneously capture these moments. I love framing the caves, ocean and landscapes in a way that would make you believe it’s not in England! When not wearing a wetsuit, some of the images could pass as being somewhere in the tropics, even in our coldest months!
Does the ocean inspire you in any other ways?
Zee: Although I grew up landlocked, the ocean now is everything to me and I will always make sure that I live near it. It has changed my entire life from the moment I learnt to surf in Lombok, Indonesia. Surfing helped me appreciate the strength of my body rather than forever criticising it. It also led me to move to Indo and meet Anthony. There, it led me to a tiny local shaping bay where I rediscovered my artistic side and found my passion. The surfboard shapers taught me glassing techniques and how to work with resin. During this process, the excess resin would drip on the floor and create all these incredibly detailed organic textures and patterns. I immediately recognised the similarities between these shapes and my natural surroundings on the island and in the ocean. I just knew beyond doubt that this was something I had to explore further. The shapers gave me free rein, allowing me to take custom orders for surfboard art. I quickly also started experimenting with making abstract artworks on flat wooden panels, which have since turned into the deep glass-like layered paintings I create for a living today. My art is an ode to nature and everything it has done for me… and many others.
Zee makes beautiful resin art for a living, inspired by the ocean
Your favourite place to swim?
Ant: For cold water dips, my favourite spot would be around Chapel Porth and also here at home near Whipsiderry. My new favourite place to swim with the camera is at a couple of crazy slabs in Portugal near to where the WSL held the competition last year… but I wouldn’t dare go without a wetsuit there unless the ocean was completely flat.
Zee: Anywhere can feel refreshing and exciting, but some of my favourite spots in Cornwall are this semi-secret ‘mermaid cove’ near Porthcothan and a really special cave near Porth Beach which is around the corner from where we live.
To learn more about Ant and Zee, you can follow them on Instagram: @myeyeswontdry (Ant) and @underthezee (Zee).
To learn more about Zee’s resin art, visit underthezee.com.
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