Gaagal Has Found Its Home: Art, Culture and a $12,000 Gift to Community

At Oceanstays, we believe the most meaningful holidays aren’t just about places - they’re about connection. That’s why we created the Oceanstays Artist in Residency program: a continuing series that brings together artists, stories and community in one powerful space.

This winter, we had the privilege of welcoming Otis Hope Carey - Gumbaynggirr-Bundjalung artist and world-class surfer - to stay at Burleigh Yamba and create something truly special.

During his residency, Otis produced Gaagal - a one-of-a-kind painting layered with ancestral memory and tidal movement. The piece honours Otis’s deep spiritual connection to land and sea, drawing on traditional symbols and contemporary Indigenous storytelling.

Last week, we auctioned Gaagal in support of Kulai Pre-School Aboriginal Corporation in Coffs Harbour. And the result?

$12,000 raised for Aboriginal early childhood education.

Gaagal: More Than a Painting

Gaagal means the ocean in Gumbaynggirr language. The artwork reflects Otis’s unique ability to channel culture into movement. The lower layer reimagines traditional symbols—concentric circles that ripple like water. The upper layer flows with tidal charts, currents and swell. Together they form a visual meditation on identity, belonging and Country.

“I paint contemporary Indigenous art,” Otis says. “It’s a broken-down form of traditional symbols and stories—not giving all of it away, but just enough for people to understand.”

A Community Contribution

We’re proud to announce that Joanna Collins was the winning bidder for Gaagal, generously donating $12,000 to Kulai Pre-School. Her contribution supports a preschool that’s been fostering cultural pride and belonging for Aboriginal children since 1961.

Kulai’s work is grounded in the Early Years Learning Framework and rooted in community. The funds raised through this auction will directly support their mission to nurture strong, connected little people through culturally rich early education.

The Ongoing Power of Residency

The Artist in Residency program isn’t new to Oceanstays—but each chapter builds on the last. From the coastal homes our artists inhabit to the works they create and the causes they support, this program is designed to do more than decorate walls. It creates ripples. Of understanding. Of support. Of story.

To Otis: thank you. For sharing your heritage and artistry with such generosity.

To Joanna: your donation is a legacy of care. We’re grateful.

To everyone who followed, bid, shared or simply paused to engage with this story - thank you for being part of it.

And to Kulai Pre-School: thank you for everything you do. We’re honoured to support your work.

Follow @otishopecarey and @oceanstays.com.au to stay connected with upcoming residencies and the stories they bring to life.

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