Jimmy J Thaiday brings hope to the Northern Peninsula Area by showcasing how an environmental threat can be turned into works of art. Photo: Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council.
When you think of marine debris, the first thing that comes to mind probably isn’t a beautiful hair ornament or grand sculpture, but one Erub Island artist is changing perspectives one workshop at a time.
Artist and filmmaker Jimmy J Thaiday had no issue filling seats at his ghost net workshops in the Northern Peninsula Area ahead of Clean Up Australia Day.
A hundred local creatives, as well as junior and senior students at the Northern Peninsula Area State College, eagerly learned the award-winning artist’s sculpture techniques during his two-week visit.
Mr Thaiday said he was more than happy to share his expertise in “[creating] something out of nothing that has a lasting impact”.
“It’s awe-inspiring to create some beauty from rubbish in the water. Otherwise, there would be nets everywhere,” he said.
“I draw inspiration from the shape or colour of the plastics and turn it into something beautiful, like a cultural hair ornament, or into giant sculptures.”
In a region where storm season can litter the beaches with ghost nets and other debris brought in on monsoonal currents, his workshops inspired communities to change their mindsets on how marine pollution is perceived — bringing hope to sustain natural resources for generations to come.
“I am really proud to do something good,” Mr Thaiday said.
“It makes me happy when everyone gets a smile on their face when they see that trash becomes treasure.”
The NPA Ghost Net Workshop with Jimmy J Thaiday was supported by the Queensland Government’s Arts Queensland program.
Ghost nets collected on NPA beaches during Clean Up Australia 2026 or other beach clean activities can be donated to the NPA Art Centre in New Mapoon.
Beauty and sustainability come together in the form of a cultural hair ornament made out of ghost nets. Photo: Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council.
