Anastasia Agusto is a native-born Sino-Kadazan Sabahan. She is a part time resin artist specialising in ocean-inspired resin art. She does all her tinkering from her humble little home studio. She’s a full-time mother to one adorable baby boy and two overly excitable pups named Panda & Posy. She has spent most of her life in coastal Borneo (Sabah) and a portion of it in Melbourne, Australia. Her work is very much influenced by the cultures and beaches of these two beautiful places.

 

Growing up in coastal Borneo, she draws her inspiration from the white sandy beaches of Sabah. It is her hope that by creating ocean-inspired pieces, it will raise awareness on beaches, oceans & their inhabitants’ conservation.

 

Some of her work involves up-cycling locally sourced native wood, namely, Acacia & Tamasu. By up-cycling dead wood and turning them into beautiful art pieces, she hopes to contribute towards a more sustainable future.

 

Her more recent work involves using unprocessed Tamasu wood from Crocker Range, sourced by a Forest Ranger. In the heart of Crocker Mountain Range, at a private land in Kg. Ulu Sawatan, Forest Ranger Shaun Davies, along with his colleagues sourced this wood called Tamasu in native Kadazan-Dusun tongue specifically because it was already dead and seasoned, with strong beliefs in forest conservation. Cut by hand using a Stihl Chainsaw, each unique piece was carried up a steep mountain side to an awaiting vehicle and transported to Penampang where they are up-cycled to pieces of art by the artist.