ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
KENT ARTIST PROFILE
GEMILA BOSS
BROADSTAIRS-BASED DRIFTWEED ARTIST GEMILA BOSS CREATES INTRICATE SEAWEED PRESSINGS, REVIVING AN ALMOST-LOST ARTFORM USING MATERIALS SUSTAINABLY FORAGED FROM BEACHES ACROSS THANET. HER ART CONTINUES TO BE A TESTAMENT TO HER FIRM BELIEF THAT WE MUST VALUE AND PROTECT OUR BRITISH COASTLINES.
© Shannen Lythgoe
© Shannen Lythgoe
© Shannen Lythgoe
Gemila, please tell us about your artist journey so far. I’ m a former primary school teacher turned full-time artist specialising in the unusual Victorian art of seaweed pressing, curated shell collage and seaweed cyanotypes. I have always been creative, but the decision to pursue art full-time came during lockdown. I was on maternity leave after baby number three, regrettably struggling with postnatal depression and the stress of returning to work, only this time teaching via Zoom was looming large.
Fortunately, we had relocated from London to the coast some years before, so I was able to escape the confines of the house to go for solitary walks along the beach, and this is when inspiration really hit. It was an anxious time and foraging on the beach quieted the noise in my head.
Once I perfected seaweed pressing, I became inspired by the work of the Victorian Kentish photographer and botanist Anna Atkins, who was a pioneer in the use of cyanotype. The curated shell and beach curio collage came later when my children’ s growing shell collection prompted me to attempt something creative besides storing them in jars or as windowsill dust traps!
Your artwork is incredibly unique. How do you find working with seaweed as your primary medium? Seaweed is fascinating; I could talk about it all day. Most people think of it as slimy and smelly. Sometimes it is, but it also produces 70 % more oxygen than land plants and absorbs carbon more effectively than trees! Seaweed is not a plant but an algae; it has been used to enrich soil for centuries, will reduce methane when included in animal feed and is a human power food! As if all of that wasn’ t enough, it is beautiful and readily available. The varied textures, shapes and vibrant colours of the 600-plus species of seaweed growing around the British coast are an endless source of creative inspiration for me.
Seaweed pressing is a wet process and it can easily go wrong, but once perfected, you can get truly stunning results whether you consider yourself creative or not. Lots of people have heard of dried flower pressing, but seaweed pressing is almost a lost artform. That is partly why I love it. It is very niche.
Do you source all of your materials from the Thanet coast? What about this coastline is so special to you? Short answer, yes! Thanet is home to multitudes of fossils and is steeped in Roman history, and the coastline itself is an internationally important place for wintering birds and marine life associated with the chalk cliffs, caves, reefs and bays. It is home to a fantastically diverse array of seaweeds and has some of the most stunning sandy beaches Kent has to offer. It is also where we spend a considerable amount of time as a family. My love of this coastline and the creative refuge it has given me is what prompted me to sign up with the Thanet Coast Project as a volunteer coastal warden two years ago( any excuse to spend more time on the beach!).
Part of the joy and the mindfulness I receive from creating is in the foraging and careful selection of the finds I include in my works. Sustainable foraging of seaweed is something I stress strongly during workshops. With beachcombing, you must make sure the beach you are collecting from allows beachcombing. Never remove rocks and sand from any UK coast, as these form part of the natural sea defences. Checking seashells to make sure that nothing is living in or on them before removing them is important- and I return any I don’ t use. I also give back by removing a troubling amount of discarded plastic waste!
The shells and curios I collect for my collages are not necessarily the most perfect. In fact, they may be broken and battered, but it is the colours and textures that I am most interested in. Shells that have‘ lived’ and have a story to tell all on their own are of far more interest to me.
What is next for you in 2026? I am offering more seaweed pressing workshops this year- I love sharing my passion for seaweed pressing with others! I have also enjoyed using images of my favourite pressings to develop a seaweedinspired homeware range with new items coming soon.
I don’ t have a physical shop of my own, so I am looking forward to the upcoming event season, which will occasionally take me out of Kent and into areas including Essex and even as far north as Derbyshire. I love to meet people and to share my passion for these artforms, for seaweeds and marine life in general. It is something worth preserving.
thedriftweedartist. com thedriftweedartist
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