Sculptured Stories with Kevin Dick
Blending sculpture and design with a deep love of the ocean, Jodie Cameron meets a local boatbuilder-turned-artist weaving marine life and meaning into every piece…
Every artist has a story, and Kevin Dick, founder of Kellick Marine Concepts, has been carving his for half a century.
Step inside his Noosaville studio and from floor to ceiling, it’s nothing short of breathtaking. Turtles are suspended mid-swim, whales breach overhead, giant sea shells gather like treasure, and timber, resin and light merge into works that stop you mid-step.
The master craftsman started his career building boats, but for the past ten years, his focus has been on sculpture, using his exceptional skills to craft large and small pieces from wood and composite marine resins.
For Kevin, this isn’t just art – it’s 55 years of craftsmanship finding a new horizon.
Growing up on the creek in Brisbane, Kevin left school at 16 and went straight into a boatbuilding workshop. Over decades he designed and built high-quality vessels, earning a reputation for precision across Australia.
Timber wasn’t just a material, it became a language and the ocean wasn’t just scenery, it was home. Retirement didn’t slow him down; it simply redirected his course.
“I call it a full-time hobby,” he chuckled. “I love the ocean. I grew up sailing and fishing, so I’ll happily work away in my workshop for 10 hours a day. My wife often has to come and find me.”
His workshop, arguably the most enviable man cave on the coast, features a beer fridge and striking timber ceiling, reminiscent of something from Grand Designs.
Unsurprisingly, the sea remains his greatest muse. Dolphins, whales, turtles, birds, sharks and stingrays glide through his works, often carrying deeper environmental messages. You’ll also find Bonnie & Clyde, Shane Warne emerging from a cricket ball, brilliant birds, impressive Moby Dick-inspired pieces, and even the occasional alien.
Now focused on competition pieces, Kevin lights up when speaking about his People’s Choice win at the 2025 Sculpture on the Edge.
The piece captures a surfer riding a wave that transforms into an albatross mid-break, referencing the maritime belief that lost souls return as seabirds.
“I love entering competitions to showcase my work alongside other artists and to a different audience,” he says.
That symbolism carries through in his tribute to one of Australia’s favourite surfers. Titled Riders of the Storm, the sculpture portrays the surfer flanked by the spirits of his two late brothers, embodied as albatrosses soaring above him.
Storm clouds represent depression; the breaking wave resilience. It’s layered, intimate, and unexpectedly moving.
Perhaps his most profound work steps beyond the ocean entirely. In a piece reflecting on Australia’s Stolen Generation, Kevin carves chains, separation, and ultimately reconciliation – a white hand and an Aboriginal hand joining together. Created in consultation with Indigenous voices, it’s a poignant reminder that sculpture can hold history, pain and hope all at once.
Kevin doesn’t take commissions; he creates what moves him. If someone connects with it, they take it home. Collectors are beginning to do just that, with pieces now travelling to Dubai and Scotland.
“What keeps inspiring me is making something different every day.” Kevin smiled.
Look out for Kevin at the Barung Landcare Wootha Prize, one of the nation’s most respected and environmentally focused woodworking competitions held in Montville from 1 to 4 May; Noosa Open Studios from 14 to 23 August and Sculpture on the Edge later in the year.
His studio is located at 4 Production Street, Noosaville. Pop in for a stickybeak, prepare to be amazed – and possibly walk away with a whale, or two.
