Community farewells artistic giant Peter Webb

SURFERS, artists and family and friends from across the globe turned out on Monday this week to pay their tributes at the funeral of design legend and former Quiksilver creative director Peter Webb, who passed away in December.

A native of Geelong and Torquay, Mr Webb built a strong reputation as a contemporary artist and was known for his personal and vibrant style, best known for his work during his 27-year journey as Quiksilver’s creative director.

Mr Webb began working for Quiksilver in 1984 alongside close friend and fellow contemporary Australian artist Simon Buttonshaw, with his position giving him the amazing opportunity to travel the world and pursue his love for artistic expression.

Through visiting galleries and casting his eyes over many differing cultures and lifestyle influences, Webb continually came up with new and exciting ways to reflect life and ideas on a canvas.

Webb would go on to exhibit art at galleries across the world, with his last show in 2021, at the Fine Thanks Gallery in Torquay, titled Time Tough: A Retrospective.

Former Quiksilver Australia art director Nick Morris said Mr Webb’s creativity inspired him to become a surf artist.

“As a teenager growing up through the ’80s, Webby was a massive influence, he did ‘ghetto dog’, ‘warpaint’ and all these different themes for Quiksilver.

“It led me to wanting to be a Quiksilver artist by seeing what he had done for them, he really gave me direction in my life as to what I wanted to do and be.

“Quiky and Webby’s art was a pure art form, and I thought it would be a dream to create art and do a job like that.

“He was a gamechanger and he and Simon Buttonshaw’s art was so influential to me throughout my career.

“Monday was an excellent send off and was just the way Webby would have liked it.”