Aerial view of koala beach art by the artist known only as “Edward” on 21 January 2020. The artist said he was inspired to create the work, which has now been seen by more than 110 million people online, by the overwhelming emotions he felt during the Australia bushfire crisis. Photo: Edward / Adam Stan
Aerial view of koala beach art by the artist known only as “Edward” on 21 January 2020. The artist said he was inspired to create the work, which has now been seen by more than 110 million people online, by the overwhelming emotions he felt during the Australia bushfire crisis. Photo: Edward / Adam Stan

By Sarah Jane Bell
21 January 2020

(ABC Ballarat) – An image of a koala clinging to a tree branch that has been etched in the sands of a Victorian beach has garnered international attention.

A photograph of the 120-metre-long artwork near Barwon Heads, south of Geelong, shows a sunset obscured by bushfire smoke and has touched the hearts of many people who have felt helpless about the devastation to wildlife this summer.

The artist, known simply as Edward, said he was inspired to create the work, which has now been seen by more than 110 million people online, by the overwhelming emotions he felt during the fire crisis.

Art by Breathe a Blue Ocean. Filmed and edited by Adam Stan Photography. Video: Adam Stan

“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,” he 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?” [more]

‘Banksy of Barwon Heads’ explains reason behind koala etched in sand on Victorian beach