An artist from Australia, whose artwork was presented to the President of the United States, Joe Biden, by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a state visit, expresses feeling overwhelmed after unexpectedly seeing her painting on the news.

Katherine Boland painted Fire Flower No 8 in 2018 following a bushfire that devastated 70 homes in Tathra, New South Wales.

Boland, a resident of the nearby town of Merimbula, was also impacted by the devastating black summer bushfires a year later. This experience motivated her to utilize art as a means of bringing attention to the urgent issue of climate change.

“I am currently experiencing a sense of euphoria. It’s amazing. I never imagined achieving this level of success,” she expressed on Thursday. “The fact that I’m in the White House is surreal.”

Biden and first lady Jill Biden received a painting on Wednesday that symbolizes the regrowth of indigenous plants after wildfires. Boland used fire to burn the wood surface and create the artwork. She was unaware of its sale until her sister notified her after seeing it on the news.

Boland stated that she had received some inquiries from the Melbourne gallery where the event took place, which may have alerted her. The questions asked focused on the type of wood used and whether or not it was sealed, likely due to quarantine regulations.

She laughed as she said, “They didn’t tell me anything. Maybe there was a protocol in place. They probably knew I would have shared it all over social media.”

Last month, Boland was awarded the $15,000 sustainability category prize at the National Capital art prize in Canberra. She believes that this recognition may have influenced the Australian government’s decision to choose her work as a gift for the Bidens.

The president and first lady gifted Albanese, a well-known music enthusiast, with a personalized turntable.

Boland expressed her desire for the prime minister to utilize her painting as a chance to discuss with the US president about addressing the climate crisis.

“I am now devoting my entire art practice to raising awareness about climate change,” she stated.

Approximately 3 billion animals died during the black summer bushfires. The sky remained dark for six weeks and the situation was extremely terrible. Unfortunately, the effects of the fires are still present.

A recent article by The Guardian stated that by the year 2100, 3 to 6 billion individuals may not have access to livable regions on Earth. However, the lack of political determination is a major hurdle. Despite this, Biden is continuing with plans for mining in the Gulf of Mexico. Laughing, she mentioned that she will be reaching out to him as she now has a connection with the US government.

Source: theguardian.com