Pray for rain

In 2008 my home city of Brisbane was hit with level 6 water restrictions following over a decade of drought. At it’s peak our cities water supply dropped to %16 and Garden hoses were banned as people were advised to only take 5 minute showers. To deal with the water shortage many city residents would shower with buckets, collecting the excess soapy water so they could use it to wash their cars and water their gardens.

While Queenslanders were showering with buckets South Turkey and the Levant region was 2 years into it’s own drought, a drought which a decade on has grown into the worst on record and possibly the worst in 900 years. A NASA study published by the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres suggests that the severe drought conditions in the Middle East have had a "catalytic effect" for the upheaval and conflict that eventually gripped Syria.

This work uses humour and realist imagery to tell an Australian story outside of it’s usual context and setting. By drawing links between ongoing drought in Australia and the Middle East the artist aims to demonstrate our connection in the struggle against climate change and the challenges we face going into the future.