Amid fire, floods, and flight, there is also resistance, tenderness, and rebuilding.
This illustration holds space for the complexity of survival—and the power of collective action.

We were invited to create a visual anchor for this moment—a singular, compelling illustration that would accompany the letter, humanize its demands, and stir emotion across social, email, and media platforms. Our role was to translate complex global truths into an image that felt both immediate and eternal.

• Recognise migration as a legitimate form of climate adaptation
  
• Support both the right to stay and the right to move
  
• End hostile border environments and invest in communities
  
• Commit to a fair and equitable fossil fuel phase-out
• Include migrants and refugees in climate action planning

It was supported by organisations across justice movements: from refugee support groups to climate coalitions, from care farms to faith-based networks.

We wanted the illustration to feel bold and transcendent—a tapestry of crisis and care, destruction and renewal. We imagined a living landscape where climate displacement, border violence, resistance, and regenerative care could coexist.

• People on the move, by land and sea, cast against fiery backdrops of crisis
  
• Tender moments of mutual aid and support amid chaos
  
• A hand of resistance and protection, holding the sun and sky
  
• A girl planting hope into the soil, cultivating new futures
  
• Animals and ecosystems surviving alongside human migration, reminding us of our shared fate

Rather than focus on one ‘scene,’ we collaged multiple truths—past, present, and future—into one frame. The result is an image that’s deeply layered, intended for people to revisit and notice something new each time.

• Color palette: Hot tones (fire/orange) alongside cool tones (water/forest), creating tension and balance
  
• Mixed symbolism: migration, mutual care, ecological collapse, and rebirth
  
• Illustrative texture: A blend of hand-drawn warmth and bold flat colors for instant recognizability online

The artwork was used across:

• The official open letter webpage hosted by the Climate Justice Coalition
  
• Social media posts (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook)
  
• WhatsApp mobilisation messages and emails
• Digital comms toolkits for co-signing organisations to share across their own channels

This was more than a visual—it was a banner under which diverse movements gathered.

• The illustration helped the open letter cut through the noise of COP28, especially on social platforms
  
• It was described as “moving,” “fierce,” and “healing” by advocates, campaigners, and supporters
  
• The piece offered visual solidarity—inviting empathy without flattening complexity