Instagram: @breatheablueocean

From November 1, 2019, to January 31, 2020 the world watched on in desperation as wild brush fires ravaged through Australia, the worst of them concentrated in NSW (New South Wales). More than 12.35 million acres of land and 2,000 homes were destroyed. The fires claimed the lives of at least 24 people. But one of the biggest losses for the country was felt by it’s diverse and unique wildlife. Not including bats, frogs, or insects, an estimated 800 million animals in NSW, 1 billion throughout all of Australia, perished as a result of the fires. Perhaps one of the most vulnerable creatures to the fires, because of how slowly they move, were Koalas. Koalas have always been a national symbol of Australia, and in the wake of the brush fires artwork depicting koalas became a unifying symbol for the people of Australia.

In the coastal town of Barwon Heads in Victoria, AU one artist mesmerized the world with his depiction of a koala clinging to a burning tree etched in the sand. The artist, Edward, has been compared to the artist Banksy because he chooses to keep his identity a secret, communicating with people just through his art. The way he is able to share his art with the world is through a collaboration with a local drone photographer, Adam Stan. Together, Edward and Adam share powerful sand images through @BreathABlueOcean, an Instagram account that Edward established in 2014. On @BreathABlueOcean Edward posts his art as well as the wonders of the natural art around him. As a professional drone photographer, Adam stumbled upon one of Edward’s pieces a few years ago. “I was flying the drone out at the Barwon Heads river one day, looking for a photo opportunity, and stumbled across his work just on daylight,” he said. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing on the monitor.” With the help of locals and good old fashioned internet searching, Adam was able to find Edward.

“Adam Stan discovered a sunrise artwork perchance, like many people do, he was flying his drone around the Barwon Heads Bridge to capture a sunrise,” Edward said. “He filmed it on his drone and posted it on the Ocean Grove Barwon Heads Community Page. Adam Stan, bless his socks and amazing talent, traced the style of artwork to my Instagram account.” The two have been working together ever since. It’s a good thing Adam is able to capture these sand etchings with his drone because they only last for a short time. Using just a rake, no ropes or other tools, Edward scratches his designs into sand that has been compacted by the tide before the sun rises. When the next tide rolls in later in the day, the art is washed away. “After dancing like a dervish for an hour and a half with my Bunnings rake the lines are connected and the moment is complete. At first light, the lines appear as shadows and soon the sun rises and brings color to the morning and the art takes shape,” Edward explained. “I take a quick look, have a coffee, and head off to work to stare at a computer screen. I have a 9 am to 5 pm office job and Adam gets in a photo shoot before going to do a full day’s work himself.”

Between @BreathABlueOcean and Adam’s personal social media accounts, thousands of people have come to love Edward’s artwork, most of which are in Memorium. After the fires faded away, but the smell of smoke still hung in the air, Edward went back out to the beach, and inspiration once again struck. “You could smell the incredibly thick smoke … and I went to that beach, near Point Impossible, and the smell and everything just hit my emotional SOS,” Edward said. “That feeling I connected to. I think most people have that. I can’t think of a single person in the country who wouldn’t see the strange sunsets in the smoke and not feel for everything living. People ended up on the beaches at Lakes Entrance and Mallacoota, but where did the wildlife go?” That connection translated into a 120 meter long image of a koala clinging to a tree with flames climbing up the trunk, the words “Australia is Burning” below.

Though many people throughout Victoria and Australia had already become familiar with the collaboration between Edward and Adam, that koala quickly became a viral image. The feedback that Edward got inspired him to create more sand drawings in memory of the fires. One was a tribute to fire workers while another depicted a burning sunset. “It doesn’t matter what he draws, someone will pull a piece out of it and say that means something to me,” Adam said. “We auctioned off one of his drawings to raise money for the animals affected by the bush fires. Everything we can do for that is a bonus.” The images created by Edward and shared through Adam’s drone have been able to help people in Australia grieve and move forward in the hope of a healed nation.