Eiji Shiomoto

— Japanese surfer and surfboard shaper, Eiji Shiomoto, is originally from the town of Kamakura on the southern coast of Honshu, but has been living in Torquay, Victoria for more than thirty years, and has been shaping for more than fifty.

Background

I originally set out to document the craft of shaping a surfboard, but it quickly became more than that. The emphasis was no longer solely on the tangible object but also on Eiji's benevolent personality and the subtle tenacity that he applies to his craft. The shaping and glassing rooms are a feast for the senses - ebulliently colourful, deafeningly loud and noxiously odorous. However, watching Eiji at work in these environments is almost paradoxical, as he moves around the confines of the workshops demonstrating his remarkably fluid dexterity.

Upon meeting Eiji I instantly slowed down to his mellow pace of being; he exudes calmness and has a very gentle air about him, and considering he is one of the top shapers in this country, he is incredibly modest and rather shy.