The Thirty Six for Coral auction runs through June 22. A special gala event in Cap Ferrat on June 20th features 10 lots that will be auctioned off live & via-live stream for bidders that cannot attend in person. All proceeds benefit coral reefs. To learn more visit www.forcoral.org

Bid to create a future for coral reefs. 

<p><b>TESSA CAMPBELL FRASER&nbsp;&nbsp;</b></p><div><i>Coda Conversation 34</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><br></div><div>28 x 36cm	</div><div><br></div><div>Oil paint on paper	Original&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>2024</div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>Tessa Campbell Fraser is a British painter and sculptor based in Oxfordshire. Born in Edinburgh, she studied at Chelsea School of Art and afterwards established herself as one of the country’s leading animal artists. She has completed several major life-size, and larger than life, sculptures for clients including the late Queen Elizabeth II, the King of Bahrain, Knuthenborg Safari Park Denmark, William Grant &amp; Son, the Household Cavalry and Sir Jackie Stewart. She has work in private collections around the world including Australia, South Africa, Monaco, and the USA, and has exhibited widely including at the Royal Academy Summer Shows, Sculpture at Goodwood, the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford and the Natural History Museum in London where she had a major solo show in 2004. In 2001, she was elected an Associate Member of the Royal Society of Sculptors and became a Fellow of the Society in 2004.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Campbell Fraser’s work is informed by her travels, notably to Greenland, which inspired a series of paintings and allegorical sculptures exploring the interspecies relationship between man and animal. She Portrayed this in a group of sculptures for her Bishop and Bear series, which raise her concerns for the world in the face of the twin threats of War (and specifically people using religion as a pretext for conflict) and Climate Change (represented by the polar bear). She has been concerned with the effects of Climate Change for over twenty years and her sculptures offer a poignant and beautiful reflection on the symbiosis between man and animal, and how precarious this balance is for both as man encroaches more and more into the wild spaces. Her latest sculptures have articulated the effects of Climate Change, seen in the fragility of the 42,000 year old frozen foal encased in the Siberian permafrost and only now revealed by the retreating ice of the melting glaciers as a potent and portentous warning; or the empty polar bear skin hung on a peg, entitled ‘I keep thinking he’ll return’. Campbell Fraser’s current solastalgic sculptures are haunting, and eloquent reminders of our ‘One Foot in Eden’ ; of what may be lost if we refuse to recognise our symbiotic and tentacular connections and responsibilities.</div><p></p>


TESSA CAMPBELL FRASER  |  Coda Conversation 34

<p>The Coral Collective brings some of the worldʼs most celebrated artists together with its Thirty Six for Coral exhibition and sale.</p><p>The online auction opens on May 28th and bidding will remain open until June 22nd.  Ten pieces will be selected for a live auction on June 20th.  Bidders will be informed on June 19th which pieces will be in the live auction and are able participate in the live auction online via livestream from Cap Ferrat.</p><p>Thirty Six for Coral is being exhibited at the iconic Grand Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat in the South of France from June 12-20. This immersive exhibition brings together 36 celebrated artists whose stunning works will serve as a powerful call to action for global conservation efforts for coral reefs, the rainforests of the sea.  Thirty Six for Coral aims to raise global awareness and secure essential funding for protection and restoration of one of the most critically endangered ecosystems on Earth.</p><p>Thirty Six for Coral has been made possible by the Pavoncelli Foundation.   We would also like to thank Hedley's and OMOSS for their support.</p><p>To learn about conservation impact being made,  please visit:  <a href="https://www.forcoral.org/impact" target="_blank">https://www.forcoral.org/impact</a></p><p>For enquiries, please contact: michele@weareprojectzero.org</p><p></p>


<p><b>MOYOSORE MARTINS</b></p><div><br></div><div><i>Emi Ko (It's Not Me)</i></div><div><br></div><div>62 x 52 inches</div><div><br></div><div>Oil, Oil Stick, Pigment, Graphite on Canvas</div><div><br></div><div>2023</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Móyòsóré Martins is a self-taught mixed-media artist. Raised in Lagos, Nigeria by a Brazilian father and a Nigerian mother from Ekiti state, Martins adopted a paintbrush and pencil at a young age as instruments to express his innately curious and spiritual nature. Through his work, Martins blends his traditional Yoruba cultural roots with his contemporary vision of art.</div><div><br></div><div>Martins’ artwork combines figurative, abstract, and narrative elements drawn from his unique life experience and journey from Nigeria to his large Bronx studio. His work is deeply symbolic and frequently features cultural and personal iconography. Martins’ richly textured paintings feature bold brushstrokes, thick oil paint, drawings, scribbles, collaged materials, and text. The vibrant, heavily layered canvases are interspersed with spiritual elements and wishes manifested and fulfilled. Martins also works in three-dimensional form with clay sculpture. As Martins describes:</div><div><br></div><div>My artwork is intentionally raw. I like to use a lot of different materials and have rough-cut edges on the canvas. The paintings are textured with scratches, scribbles, and mud-like paint, as well as clay, liquid plastic, oil sticks, chunky layers of oil paint. I layer the background and then deconstruct them, which gives the feeling of wear and tear on the canvas. No painting is alike as each has symbolic patterns and encrypted messages hidden within it. I want to merge the vision with the given and the new world that I live in now. The word “Why?” is seen in a lot of the work because it leaves you asking the same question.</div><div><br></div><div>Forbidden by his father to create or study art, Martins spent his college years in Ghana and the Ivory Coast studying computer science. He immigrated to New York City in 2015 to further pursue his artistic ambitions. Martins’ artwork has been exhibited at the Varenne Contemporary (Geneva), TrafficArts (New York, Paris), Crossing Art Gallery (New York), Nassau County Museum (Roslyn, NY), Path Gallery (Los Angeles, CA), Robert Fontaine Gallery (Miami, Fl.), Dacia Gallery (New York, NY), Heath Gallery (New York, NY), Grady Alexis Gallery (New York, NY) and Long-Sharp Gallery (Indiannapolis, IN).</div><div><br></div><p></p>


MOYOSORE MARTINS  |  Emi Ko (It's Not Me)

NABIL NAHAS<div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Untitled</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Acrylic on Canvas&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>44 x 42 cm</div><div><br></div><div>2025</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Drawing inspiration from the fractal patterns found in coral reefs, Nahas creates vibrant, multi-layered compositions that appear to pulsate with life, bridging the gap between the cosmic and the microscopic.</div><div>Nabil Nahas is an internationally acclaimed Lebanese-American artist known for his bold, three-dimensional paintings that merge geometric abstraction with organic forms, evoking the intricate beauty of nature. Drawing inspiration from the fractal patterns found in coral reefs, Nahas creates vibrant, multi-layered compositions that appear to pulsate with life, bridging the gap between the cosmic and the microscopic.</div><div>Born in Beirut in 1949, Nahas moved to the United States in 1969 to pursue his artistic education, earning a BFA from Louisiana State University before completing his MFA at Yale University in 1972. After settling in New York in 1973, he became a significant figure in the city’s contemporary art scene, drawing influence from both Islamic decorative patterns and the American abstract painting movement of the mid-20th century.</div><div>A pivotal moment in Nahas’s artistic journey came when he learned to scuba dive in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Immersed in the underwater world, he was profoundly moved by the complexity and delicate structure of coral formations. Since then, corals have remained a major influence in his work, inspiring his textured, richly pigmented “fractal” paintings that mirror the organic growth of marine life. His signature "Constellation" compositions reference both seabeds and celestial bodies, creating a hypnotic interplay of depth, movement, and luminous color.</div><div>Beyond his marine-inspired works, Nahas also explores themes of cultural identity and environmental fragility. His later works incorporate imagery of cedars, olive trees, and palms, symbolizing both the natural heritage and the resilience of his homeland, Lebanon. He had his first major retrospective at the Beirut Exhibition Center in 2010, and in 2002, he represented Lebanon at the 25th São Paulo Bienal in Brazil.</div><div>His work has been showcased in renowned institutions and exhibitions worldwide, including "Glasstress 2011," a Collateral Event of the 54th Venice Biennale, and "Glasstress: New York" at the Museum of Arts and Design in 2012. His paintings are housed in the permanent collections of prestigious museums, including:</div><div>The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York</div><div>Tate Modern, London</div><div>Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, UAE</div><div>Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha</div><div>Museum of Fine Arts, Boston</div><div>Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia</div><div>High Museum of Art, Atlanta</div><div>Nahas had his first solo show at the Robert Miller Gallery in New York in 1977, later exhibiting with Holly Solomon Gallery in 1986 and continuing his long-standing relationship with Sperone Westwater Gallery since 1997.</div><div>Through his innovative practice, Nahas transforms the microcosm of coral reefs into vast, immersive landscapes, inviting viewers to contemplate the delicate interplay between art, nature, and the infinite patterns of existence.</div><div>Represented by internationally recognized galleries Ben Brown Gallery,&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div>Spironi Westwater, Saleh Barakat Gallery, Lawri Shabibi Gallery, and Galerie Tanit.</div><div><br></div>

NABIL NAHAS  |  Untitled

<div><div>Bio Resin, Pigment, Brass Chains, Brass ring, Brass eye hooks, Brass wall hook, Brass caribiners</div><div><br></div><div>130cm x 40cm x 35cm</div><div><br></div><div>2025</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><b>HENRIETTA ARMSTRONG</b></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><i>Medusa's Blood</i></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><span>Medusa’s Blood is a ritual object for a dying world. Inspired by traditional Italian apotropaic charms, such as the mano figa and corno, often carved from Corallium rubrum, the red coral of the Mediterranean, this work reimagines their protective power at an exaggerated scale. Glowing in coral reds and pinks, it hangs suspended like an oversized pendant or sacred offering. According to Greek mythology, red coral was born from the blood of Medusa, the Gorgon whose severed head turned men to stone. When Perseus beheaded her, the legend says her blood spilled into the sea, staining seaweed and transforming it into living coral. This myth ties red coral to both death and creation, a duality that lies at the heart of the piece.  In various belief systems, red coral is more than decorative: it is alive with meaning. It is said to offer protection from harm, promote well-being, and guard against negativity. In some traditions, if red coral changes colour, it’s considered a warning, an omen of illness or misfortune. These beliefs imbue the material with a sense of urgency and power, further deepening its connection to themes of life, loss, and transformation.  Drawing on these histories and associations, Medusa’s Blood evokes the contradictory beauty and devastation of coral reefs under threat. As the Great Barrier Reef fades to white through bleaching and death, the charms become relics, symbols of protection, grief, and feminine fury. Part shrine, part fossil, the work asks what we are trying to preserve, and what we are already mourning. It is a spell for the reef, and a curse for the forces undoing it.</span></div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Henrietta Armstrong MRSS is a multimedia artist and curator based in London, specialising in sculpture, installation and public art. She looks at man-made objects and structures from everyday technologies that are often obsolete or defunct, and the symbolism or meaning that we imbue them with. Henrietta creates work that can sometimes be playful but has a serious message that stays with the viewer about the effects we are having on the planet and what we will be leaving behind for the future. Protection and defence are recurring themes, looking at the brutalist forms of sea defences, sea erosion and the global threat of rising sea levels due to global warming. Her most recent work continues her exploration of themes related to personal relics, the mystical unknown and ritualistic practices. Considering the hypocrisy between the Catholic Church's veneration of relics and its historical condemnation of witchcraft. While relics, often mass-produced religious items with supposed divine significance, are celebrated and revered, the Church's stance on witchcraft has been one of persecution and condemnation. This contrast adds an intriguing layer to Armstrong's exploration of religious artefacts and their cultural symbolism, urging viewers to reflect on the complex dynamics of the symbols, rituals and shifting perceptions that shape human belief systems. The paradox between the acceptance of institutional idolatry and the persecution of marginalised groups for similar behaviour, raises questions about the role of power and biases embedded in historical narratives. Through her work, she encourages us to confront the incongruities within our societal norms, inviting us to question the malleable boundaries between the sacred and the condemned.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Henrietta Armstrong BA Fine Art (Hons) at Sir John Cass School of Art, London, graduating in 2003. Recent exhibitions include: ‘Entangled: Saatchi Gallery X Liminal Gallery’ - Saatchi Gallery, London, Take A Seat - HA.LF X Bow Arts FRIEZE Takeover, London, Art Car Boot Fair - Sweet ‘Art, London, Sex Sells - Beyond The Historical Matrix - Semjon Contemporary, Berlin, The Garden of Delights on Earth - Gallery 46, London, HOW LONG IS FOREVER - G37 Galerie, Berlin, solo show SANCTUM FUTURUM: Relics and Forbidden Desires at Liminal Gallery, Margate, Throwing Bones II at Chaucer Group Ltd, The Scalpel Building, London. She is a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors, her work is part of the Soho House permanent collection and is held in private collections around the world.</div>

HENRIETTA ARMSTRONG |  Medusa's Blood

<p><b>BRITT BOUTROS-GHALI</b></p><div><br></div><div><i>Untitled&nbsp;</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><br></div><div>Acrylic on Canvas</div><div><br></div><div>180 x 123 cm</div><div><br></div><div>2024</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Britt Boutros-Ghali, the esteemed Norwegian-Egyptian abstract expressionist, has woven her artistic legacy into the very fabric of her adopted homeland of Egypt over the past five decades. Her journey is one of vibrant hues and boundless creativity, punctuated by accolades and recognition from around the globe. Born in 1937 against the stark backdrop of Svolvaer, Norway, Britt's early years were etched with contrasts — from the luminous summers to the enveloping darkness of winter, and the tumult of World War II looming in the background. It was amidst this emotional maelstrom that her artistic spirit took flight, finding solace and expression through bursts of color and emotion. Stepping into Britt's world is akin to embarking on a visual odyssey. Her canvases, marked by a kaleidoscope of colors and dynamic brushstrokes, exude an energy that is both captivating and enigmatic. Rooted in the principles of action painting, her process is a dance of spontaneity and structure, where the materials themselves become conduits for storytelling. At the heart of Britt's practice lies a deep reverence for her surroundings. Egypt's rich and exotic tapestry of culture and history serves as a perpetual wellspring of inspiration. From the bustling souks of Cairo to the tranquil shores of Agami, her dual studios reflect her profound connection to the land and its people.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><b>A Journey Through Color: The World of Britt Boutros-Ghali</b></div><div><br></div><div>In the bustling streets of Cairo, amidst the vibrant tapestry of Egyptian culture, resides a luminary whose canvases pulsate with life. Britt Boutros-Ghali, the esteemed Norwegian-Egyptian abstract expressionist, has woven her artistic legacy into the very fabric of her adopted homeland over the past five decades. Her journey is one of vibrant hues and boundless creativity, punctuated by accolades and recognition from around the globe.</div><div><br></div><div>Born in 1937 against the stark backdrop of Svolvaer, Norway, Britt's early years were etched with contrasts — from the luminous summers to the enveloping darkness of winter, and the tumult of World War II looming in the background. It was amidst this emotional maelstrom that her artistic spirit took flight, finding solace and expression through bursts of color and emotion.</div><div><br></div><div>Stepping into Britt's world is akin to embarking on a visual odyssey. Her canvases, marked by a kaleidoscope of colors and dynamic brushstrokes, exude an energy that is both captivating and enigmatic. Rooted in the principles of action painting, her process is a dance of spontaneity and structure, where the materials themselves become conduits for storytelling.</div><div><br></div><div>At the heart of Britt's practice lies a deep reverence for her surroundings. Egypt's rich and exotic tapestry of culture and history serves as a perpetual wellspring of inspiration. From the bustling souks of Cairo to the tranquil shores of Agami, her dual studios reflect her profound connection to the land and its people.</div><div><br></div><div>In 1996, Britt's contributions to the arts were honored with the prestigious St. Olav's Order, Norway's highest artistic accolade, bestowed upon her by King Haakon himself. Yet, it is perhaps her 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award for Women in the Arts from the Egyptian government that resonates most deeply. A testament to her indelible impact on the artistic landscape of her adopted homeland, it serves as a fitting tribute to a lifetime devoted to creativity and expression.</div><div><br></div><div>Today, Britt's home in Agami stands as a living testament to her artistic vision. Adorned with intricately crafted mosaics and murals, it serves as a beacon for local artists, collectors, and admirers alike. Here, amidst the whispers of the Mediterranean breeze, her legacy continues to unfold, inviting all who encounter it to embark on a journey through color, emotion, and the boundless depths of the human spirit.</div><div><br></div><p></p>


BRITT BOUTROS-GHALI  |  Untitled 

<p><b>Tessa 	Campbell Fraser	</b></p><div><br></div><div><i>Coda Conversation 36</i></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>28 x 36cm	</div><div><br></div><div>Oil paint on paper&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>2024&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Tessa Campbell Fraser is a British painter and sculptor based in Oxfordshire. Born in Edinburgh, she studied at Chelsea School of Art and afterwards established herself as one of the country’s leading animal artists. She has completed several major life-size, and larger than life, sculptures for clients including the late Queen Elizabeth II, the King of Bahrain, Knuthenborg Safari Park Denmark, William Grant &amp; Son, the Household Cavalry and Sir Jackie Stewart. She has work in private collections around the world including Australia, South Africa, Monaco, and the USA, and has exhibited widely including at the Royal Academy Summer Shows, Sculpture at Goodwood, the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford and the Natural History Museum in London where she had a major solo show in 2004. In 2001, she was elected an Associate Member of the Royal Society of Sculptors and became a Fellow of the Society in 2004.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Campbell Fraser’s work is informed by her travels, notably to Greenland, which inspired a series of paintings and allegorical sculptures exploring the interspecies relationship between man and animal. She Portrayed this in a group of sculptures for her Bishop and Bear series, which raise her concerns for the world in the face of the twin threats of War (and specifically people using religion as a pretext for conflict) and Climate Change (represented by the polar bear). She has been concerned with the effects of Climate Change for over twenty years and her sculptures offer a poignant and beautiful reflection on the symbiosis between man and animal, and how precarious this balance is for both as man encroaches more and more into the wild spaces. Her latest sculptures have articulated the effects of Climate Change, seen in the fragility of the 42,000 year old frozen foal encased in the Siberian permafrost and only now revealed by the retreating ice of the melting glaciers as a potent and portentous warning; or the empty polar bear skin hung on a peg, entitled ‘I keep thinking he’ll return’. Campbell Fraser’s current solastalgic sculptures are haunting, and eloquent reminders of our ‘One Foot in Eden’ ; of what may be lost if we refuse to recognise our symbiotic and tentacular connections and responsibilities.</div><p></p>


TESSA CAMPBELL FRASER  |  Coda Conversation 36

<b>ROB &amp; NICK CARTER</b><div><i><br></i></div><div><i>Valle della Luna II, Capo Testa, Sardinia&nbsp;</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><br></div><div>Framed Cibachrome print&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>50 x 50 in</div><div><br></div><div>2007</div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>Rob and Nick Carter are a husband and wife artistic duo who have been collaborating for over 20 years. The Carter’s work is centered on the boundaries between the analogue and the digital and has taken many mediums including camera-less photography, painting, installation, neon, sculpture and time-based media. Their acclaimed Transforming series has been 10 years in the making and creates a unique intersection between the art of the past and cutting edge computer generated imagery.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Their work is housed in the collections of the Frick, Pittsburgh; Mauritshuis, The Hague; Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem; Victoria &amp; Albert Museum, London; David Roberts Foundation, London; Städel Museum, Frankfurt; and the Fondation Custodia, Paris, as well as being the only living artists to show a work at the Frick Museum, New York.</div>

ROB & NICK CARTER  |  Valle della Luna II, Capo Testa, Sardinia 

<b>CHARLOTTE COLBERT</b><div><br></div><div><i>Out With Lanterns</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>Stainless steel</div><div><br></div><div>Height 50cm</div><div><br></div><div>2025</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>'Out With Lanterns', a riff on Emily Dickinson’s famous line “I am out with lanterns looking for myself,” playfully references the archetypal nature of all fairy tales—ultimate origin stories which shed light or guidance on our narratives of identity. "Fairy tales feel like narratives of our universal unconscious, in a similar way to tarot, symbols and archetypes," says Colbert. A small angel-like figure braves giant waves, morphing into swan-like creatures—in this epic quest of self-discovery. “The girl is small, the waves are big but maybe they can be reimagined not as a drowning force but as something which might allow you to fly.”</div>

CHARLOTTE COLBERT  |  Out With Lanterns

<p><b>PHILIP COLBERT</b></p><div><br></div><div><i>The Coral Lobster</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>Acrylic</div><div><br></div><div>95.5 x 79.7 x 5 cm</div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i>2025</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>Philip Colbert’s tongue-in-cheek practice combines references to Pop icons such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein with the compositional techniques of Old Masters such as Peter Paul Reubens and Anthony Van Dyck, all shot through with the psychologically probing humor of the Surrealists. His canvases collage recognizable such pop-cultural imagery as Captain America’s shield and branded Lacoste hoodies in jam-packed tableaux full of wry humor, often featuring his signature lobster character. Colbert occasionally translates his multilayered canvases to three-dimensional sculptural and installation works. He has exhibited in London, Busan, Seoul, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Miami, and his work has been exhibited at institutions including the Van Gogh Museum, the Modern Art Museum, Shanghai, and the Multimedia Art Museum in Moscow.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><p></p>


TESSA CAMPBELL FRASER | Coda Conversation 34

hi@basta.app