Ashes to ashes, coal to art

M&C Saatchi, Mastercard, NRMA Insurance, Google, Alfred, and Eleven PR have collaborated to launch a global art community, RISE, to showcase artwork using bushfire charcoal as a medium.

For the project, globally recognised artists such as ‘godfather of graffiti’ Lee Quiñones of Brooklyn worked alongside local Australian artists including Reg Mombassa, Craig Ruddy, Otis Hope Carey and Scott Marsh.

All artwork will be sold on an online auction with proceeds going directly to bushfire relief organisations, including the RFS, Wildlife Victoria, BlazeAid, WIRES, Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, Wildlife Victoria, and the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Fund.

Prior to the auction, all artworks will be on public display from March 12 at Sydney Carriageworks, alongside curated wines from the bushfire-affected region of Tumbarumba. 

Matty Burton, APAC creative chief at Google Partner Innovation, said: “The word partners is true in every sense, we have had all kinds of support from each of them, from keeping the creative talents of M&C up late into the night, integrating our payment systems for the fundraiser with Mastercard, dragging coal from the bushfires through Google office and when we really needed help, finding that in NRMA Insurance.”

The idea for the exhibition came from a feeling of “helplessness after bushfire smoke blanketed Sydney” over various months.