Canvas for Change
In September 2008 Oxfam invited Australians to create artworks that tell the climate change story for vulnerable communities in developing countries. The canvases represent the climate change impacts faced by these communities, tell the story of them adapting to climate change or look at opportunities and possibilities for the future. People all over the world took part in this international project.
In Australia we welcomed individual and group submissions from students, community groups, clubs, artists or would be artists.
Winners announced
The people have spoken. Over 12,000 votes were cast by the public for the Australian canvas they believe most effectively communicates a climate change story. Click on an image to see a larger view.
Girl harvesting foodcrops from buckets by Frida Forsberg
Increasing salinity in the soil from sea level rises and more violent storms is making it difficult to grow crops in island nations like Tuvalu. I wanted to create a simple illustration of the activity of people growing foodcrops in buckets to avoid the saline soil. I took inspiration from Diego Rivera’s paintings of peasants (particularly his flower vendors, ‘The Flower Carrier’and ‘El Vendedor de Alcatraces’).
Singing in the Rain by Margaret Thomas
Singing in the rain takes on a new meaning in relation to climate change. What was once a happy, joyful occasion could now be one of disaster. A world flooded with water is what I wanted to express in this painting, not only the farming communities will be affected by climate change but also the large cities and their inhabitants.
The Barefoot Brigade by Brett Belot
While travelling through the countries of Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania, it was amazing to see that so many people were walking and carrying goods on their heads!
Almost Gone by Marika Bryant
The last "photo" of the family on the arrid land - no rain for many years, overfarming, soil degradation, the family stands crestfallen at their future prospects. The sky is heavy, the horizon line bleak, and the family leans into each other for support. Changes must be made, worldwide, for their very survival, and the survival of many more families just like them.
3rd World Flooding by Jennifer Green
As climate change increases there are thousands of people from third world countries who will lose their homes, and many will even lose their lives. My picture depicts a woman holding a child trying to climb onto the roof of her home in a slum as it begins to flood.
The bigger picture by Carl Canty
This piece is about the effects of global warming an how it is effecting our planet. I want people to see the bigger picture an get an idea of how the earth is slowly decaying.
'green' by Brooke Ghislaine Wharton
This picture depicts children and their families that scrounge through rubbish dumps to earn a living throughout the developing world.
Change The World by St Ignatius School Year 5
Our canvas is about third world countries. We are trying to show what the developed world can do for the third world. Our work shows some of the possibilities and that we can make a difference. We were inspired to create this work by things we learned from the Internet, books, movies and guest speakers. Artists: Tomin George, Hugo Kwon, Samuel Miranda, Felix Murray, Monique Baker, Alessia Belperio, Madeleine Butler, Kate Edwards, Elithea Jackson and Riley Jones.
Rising Seas by St Ignatius School Year 5
We got inspiration for our canvas from learning about the rising sea levels on small islands. These new sea levels are destroying crops and other plants and are forcing islanders to leave their islands and become environmental refugees. They have to rely on the charity of others. Our canvas shows the people leaving their island homes. Artists: Nicholas Aseervatham, Alexander Conrick, David De Roquefeuil, Michael Fairbairn, Jessica McKay, Matilda Murphy, Caitlin Strange, Ally Thurn and Courtney Vedelago
What we Think by Moorooka State School year 5
In class we all talked about climate change and watched a few videos for inspiration, the children shared what they already knew, which was quite a lot and from that each student chose words that they thought emphasised their thoughts regarding change. The words were then printed onto the A3 paper background that the children had already prepared the week before.
Two of these winning artworks from Australia and the Solomon Islands were also selected to be exhibited at the international gathering of countries on climate change in December 2008. View the international canvases.
Learn more
Read about the impact of climate change on poor communities in developing nations.