CityLife

Must see: Under Water Colours

An image by Jamie Hewlett

Contact Theatre, Oxford Road - until September 26, 2010

Long before Jamie Hewlett was the artistic brains behind Gorillaz and opera Monkey: Journey To The West, he was a celebrated comic artist with a substantial following and collectable output.

There’s no doubt, though, that being one half of Damon Albarn’s ‘imaginary band’ has opened up opportunities for Jamie to explore new artistic territories, and his recent work with Oxfam is one of those.

Back in 2009, Jamie travelled with Oxfam to Bangladesh to see for himself the effects of climate change on the region.

He met families who told him how they were flooded out of their homes every year, and saw others who had lost their homes in the floods, but could not afford to rebuild them. He talked to children who swam to school with their books balanced on their heads and women who were forced to give birth in mass evacuation centres because their homes were under water.

The experiences of Bangladeshi people, of course, are currently being repeated on a devastating scale in Pakistan, where around five million people are homeless and at least 1,600 dead.

The trip inspired Jamie to paint nine watercolours – a medium he is not known for, but one that portrays the fragility of life in the region – for an exhibition, Under Water Colours, showing from today at Contact Theatre.

Supporting films about climate change, plus artistic evenings and animation workshops, will also run until September 26, conveying the message that we must all do something now to halt land erosion, environmental degradation and carbon emissions.

“It’s made me think about my own kids,” writes Jamie in his trip diary. “My son getting the bus to school in the morning and the panic I’d feel if anything happened to him.

“These kids here are so tough. They are growing up with climate change, but it’s almost like it’s part of their lives and they just have to deal with it. I should imagine it’s extremely scary for them.

“What I saw was a lovely community of people, lots of smiley-faced kids running around. I’m told that (their homes) will probably be washed away this year. Some of those kids might drown.”

Oxfam campaigner for the north of England, Serena Tramonti, says the watercolours are a touching reminder of the ability of people to find strength together in terrible circumstances.

“They remind us of the fragility of the environment and the human condition within it,” says Serena.

“The environment was incredibly beautiful, but delicate at the same time. Watercolours are very delicate, but also very difficult to manage, and some of the work was also created on recycled envelopes and found items – materials that interested Jamie.

“He has also created a unique piece for Manchester because after creating Monkey for the Manchester International Festival, he feels an artistic connection to the city.”

Prints of Jamie’s work can be purchased to support Oxfam’s River Basin programme in Char Atra, Bangladesh and Nepal. Jamie’s unique piece for the Contact show will be revealed on Thursday.

» Free.