“The refugee movement is as broad and diverse as the different artworks in this exhibition,” says Mark Goudkamp, coordinator for the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) and the Building Bridges exhibition.

“It’s not just refugee advocacy or activist groups that are concerned. It’s also contemporary artists, photographers, cartoonists and satirists,” continues Mark Goudkamp.

More than 100 works donated by over 80 artists will be publicly auctioned during the exhibition run to raise funds for the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) and Refugee Art Project (RAP).

The exhibition features works by award-winning Australian artists such as Ken Done, artist and musician Reg Mombassa and Archibald Prize winning-painter Judy Cassah.

Deborah Kelly, founding member of boat-people.org, who projected an image of First Fleet ship HMAS Endeavour with the text ‘BOAT PEOPLE’ onto the Opera House, has also donated a collage work.

“The amount of works donated shows the depth of feeling amongst the Australian art community toward refugees and asylum seekers. It’s a real blessing because it raises awareness and funds,” says Dr Safdar Ahmed, co-founder of RAP, an initiative that teaches art to asylum seekers in detention.

Both the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) and Refugee Art Project (RAP) hope the Building Bridges exhibition will tackle the ‘us vs. them’ attitude towards refugees and asylum seekers, help change public opinion and highlight the need for a change in government policy.

The launch will take place on Dec 8 from 5pm to 7.30pm.

Dec 5-Dec 14, UTS Foyer Gallery, University of Technology, Ultimo, 0422 871 327, buildingbridgessydney.com

This article also published in Alternative Media’s City Hub publication where I am a regular contributor to the Arts & Entertainment section.