let them live
The project focused on creating three illustrations to advocate for the protection of whales and to encourage a reconsideration of humanity's relationship with the ocean and its inhabitants. The primary goal was to put an end to whaling in Iceland.
Achieved Objectives:
Over the course of 6 months, I completed my 3 illustrations, allowing time between each one to communicate the message to my social media following. My posts on this topic reached over 330K accounts, and notable figures like Björk, Jason Momoa, and Loreen shared my artwork on their platforms.
My merch sales (art prints and apparel) helped fund further activism, including a memorable protest event on June 3rd in Reykjavík in collaboration with Björk. I teamed up with other activists in Iceland and together we saw over 20K Icelanders and 500K global advocates sign the petition. On the 9th of June, the petitions were handed to the Minister of Fisheries and on the 20th of June, whaling was suspended.
IMPACT
Having campaigned against whaling in Iceland for 5 years, I have never seen such a stir in Icelandic society. I felt support from the locals, people were touched and whaling was a topic that people were discussing amongst each other.
Collaborating with other activists, we painted a message on a wall in front of the Ministry of Fisheries and we launched a social media presence to specifically target Icelanders. An official poll revealed a historical shift: for the first time ever, a majority of Icelanders (51%) are against whaling.
Future Projections:
One piece from this project has lit the path for a new collaboration with the Captain Paul Watson Foundation. They were so taken by it that they commissioned two custom artworks for their campaign against whaling in Iceland.
“The grant gave me the space and financial freedom to conceptualize and work independently on these 3 illustrations. Passion projects such as these usually take the backseat due to financial constraints. This project would not have happened without the OCL grant. Reflecting on the grant process, my experience was overwhelmingly positive. The OCL team was very supportive and receptive to my ideas, allowing me the freedom to do storytelling in the way I know best.”
Stefán Pétursson