Yanni Van Zijl

Meet local Sunshine Coast photographer and environmental artist Yanni Van Zijl.

Originating from Brisbane, Yanni moved to The Coast over 15 years ago. Yanni has been an professional photographer for most of her career and has furthered her career into the environment and art. Here we showcase one of Yanni's more recent projects - Murtle the Plastic Turtle.

The idea for Murtle formed when Yanni saw the amount of plastic that is washed up on the beautiful beaches along the Coast. Researching more she became aware of how many turtles die from ingesting the plastic that is cast into the Ocean and washed up on our beaches. Yanni converted this knowledge into a piece of art.

Yanni collected the washed up flotsam. From bottle tops ( which make up the underbelly of Murtle), to toothbrushes and plastic jars. You will even find a pair of thongs ( flip-flops) which collectively make up Murtle.

Here's Murtle the Turtle. Finished in all her recycled glory. A brilliant work of art with a strong message attached.