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Putting her pen down to walk across the deck at her cabin in Cocholgüe Chile, Gabriella Laruccia peers out at the Pacific Ocean, she stretches her arms and mind from the detailed work at hand. This is home, at least for the moment. ‘Gabi’ is a freelance artist, who works remotely on professional design projects for clients across South America, Australia and the United States. She travels with the Bureo team, acting as the Bureo in-house artist, and life partner to co-founder Ben Kneppers.
Not unlike the rest of the Bureo team, Gabi maintains her global citizenship, having lived/worked in seven countries, she finds inspiration from her travels. Finding new experiences in new places, she enjoys understanding new cultures and acclimating to new environments.
Gabi has been drawing since she was a young girl, 5 or 6yrs old, it was always her “favorite thing to do”. She remembers “going crazy whenever she would visit stationary stores”, where the paints and pens would mesmerize her. Never envisioning that drawing would become a job… it was something that always has brought her joy. Crediting her attraction to vibrant colors to the beaches of Brazil, she is an ocean enthusiast.
Brining her passion for the ocean to her work at Bureo, Gabi has been working on prints profiling ocean creatures. She explains that “drawing details within the sea creatures shows people how every little part of the animals are necessary to make the whole…it makes people appreciate how incredible these creatures are. All of the details comes together to complete the living animal, with every small detail having a purpose.” She sees this as a metaphor to the greater ocean, which relies on even the smallest of creatures like Krill and Phytoplankton to stabilize a whole ecosystem.
Describing the ocean as “magical, so big and undiscovered…a different universe,” Gabi respects the ocean, admires it and fears it. In her latest Bureo print, a hand drawn jellyfish is printed on an organic tee for women. She explains that jellyfish “dance and swim, and its so beautiful, and hard to explain”. Its like they are from a different universe, one that Gabi enjoys peering into.
Given that Gabi was with Bureo before it was ‘born’, she sees it as an extension of her family. Her marriage to Bureo will become official this May, when she walks down the aisle with Bureo co-founder Ben Kneppers at their wedding celebration in Brazil. Joining the entire Bureo team, the ceremony will occur at a beach outside of São Paulo, a location that Gabi credits for her interest in vibrant colors and life!
Keep an eye out for Gabi’s talent in the Bureo space and beyond, and be sure to follow her work on Instagram @Gabilaruccia. Shoot an email to her at Gabi@bureoskateboards.com for any inquiries.