Salt and graphite: A practice shaped by the sea

Emily Wright’s days are shaped by two constants: making art and getting into the ocean.

The Torquay-based artist, whose practice is built around graphite pencil illustrations and lino block printing, is the face behind Ahki Illustration.

Her work centres on the natural world and is a reflection of her own deep connection to nature, and a life increasingly spent by – and in – the sea.

Wright made the move from Melbourne to Torquay about six years ago. It was a decision that quietly altered the way she lives, observes and creates.

 

 

Living by the coast brought Wright closer to nature, but it was learning to surf that changed how she engaged with it.

“It’s become the biggest joy in my life,” she said. “The community of people out there in the water, especially down here, I find so welcoming and encouraging.

“I’ve always been in touch with nature, but you become so much more in touch with nature and the ocean being in all its different phases… You take notice of every little moment.

“Spending so much time in the ocean, and tapping into that, it really has had such an impact.”

 

 

The move also encouraged her to embrace lino block printing, an artform, like many, she was first introduced to in primary school. The works she creates often reflect women in the surf and the community she has found there.

“In this world that is becoming a lot more digital…I really like the super traditional art mediums,” Wright said.

“[Lino printing] is such a fun process because it’s almost like you get to the finished product but during the journey, you don’t quite know how it’s going to turn out.

“You have to be drawing it backwards, and then you’re carving it, and you can’t really see how it’s all coming together, and then when you first get to ink up a bock and you see it working – it’s one of my favourite things.”

 

 

Although a very different style to the pencil illustrations for which she first became known, she feels the two mediums sit well together as a brand-defining aesthetic.

“I’ve always loved grey lead. To me [it] feels the most natural – it’s stripped back, refined,” she said.

“All mediums are incredible – colour and paints can bring out such beautiful aspects of nature that you can capture – but I there’s something so simple and refined about grey lead.

“I think, naturally, that’s where my skill lies. I can get a lot of detail with grey lead and that’s one of my strengths.

 

 

“What’s drawn, speaks. You’re really paying attention to the line work because there’s less distraction going on.”

The last year as been one of growth for Wright.

She moved into her first dedicated studio space at the Lightbox in Torquay, has expanded her practice into the large-scale mural space – a move that has been high on the “dreams list” and she hopes to explore more through 2026 – and has begun sharing her talents with the community through workshops and classes.

“We’ve got a really amazing community that really does celebrate and support the arts,” she said. “In a way, I don’t think I could have grown, and would have grown, in the way that I have if it wasn’t for moving here and becoming a part of this community.”

Her workshops focus on lino printing. She loves the accessibility of the medium and the sense of pride her students feel when they find their grove with it.

 

 

The biggest reward comes from the students who lack confidence in their skill level but develop self-belief through the process.

“It’s really nice to see people challenging themselves or pushing themselves and then being really proud of their results and their outcome,” Wright said.

“And the same thing for people who maybe already believed in themselves and are creative, but life gets really busy, and they might not find the time to do it.”

Wright is a fixture on the Surf Coast’s thriving market scene and can be found at the Torquay Cowrie Market until the season wraps up in April.

“I love the markets, especially on our coast. We have so many beautiful community markets and people show up rain, hail or shine,” she said.

 

 

“I just feel so aligned with the communities that I’m now flowing through. My artwork is naturally speaking to them and appealing to them in the same way.”

Even as her reputation along the coast grows, it’s a connection point with the community she has no intention of giving up.

“I’ve never lived in a smaller town that has such a sense of community,” she said. “When we moved down, it was so apparent.

“I don’t think I ever really want to stop doing markets. You’re seeing firsthand the impacts that your work is having, and that’s the whole point – you’re creating these things to bring joy and inspiration to people.”

To learn more, visit ahkiillustration.com, or head to @ahki_illustration