Specsavers has joined forces with Gurindji Waanyi contemporary Aboriginal artists, sisters Sarrita and Tarisse King, for a new new range of limited-edition frames supporting the work of the Fred Hollows Foundation.
Available from July 4, the new range will see $25 from the sale of each frame going towards The Fred Hollows Foundation's Indigenous Australia Program to help make eye care more accessible for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The talented King sisters are the daughters of great Indigenous artist William King Jungala.
Growing into prolific artists in their own right, Tarisse, based in NZ, and Sarrita, on Larrakia Country, are always investigating other mediums to express their stories, which has resulted in a range of collaborations and public projects, aside from Specsavers.
A collaboration between the sisters, this year's limited-edition artwork, 'My Country's Story', strives to capture the diverse landscapes of Australia's Top End, reflecting on the lives of families and communities who inhabit the land. This collaboration is also a fusion of two artworks: Tarisse's 'My Country' and Sarrita's Language of the Earth'.
The aerial view of 'My Country reflects' on different landscapes, and specifically references Australia's Top End, where the King Sisters grew up. The artwork Language of the Earth can be seen to tear through the country reflecting on the families and communities who live on the land, with the different strokes and dots expressing the ever-changing growth of community, connection, and culture.
Tarisse shared that she is thrilled to see the artwork she and her sister create go on to further support such a great cause.
"Sarrita and I got together to tell a story on a canvas and ended up creating a painting that was reflective of us and our journey. We have been painting this story in collaboration for years, half the canvas each, to create the work that you see on the limited-edition frames," she said.
"To see our art, that tells our story, used to give back to our mob through the work of The Fred Hollows Foundation is so important to us. As an Aboriginal woman who practices storytelling, I want to use my skills to uplift my people, especially as we are predisposed to so many more issues than others and poor eye health is so common, especially in Indigenous communities."
Specsavers has contributed more than $7.6 million towards The Foundation's programs in Australia. Now in its 13th year of the partnership and with this 8th limited-edition range, Specsavers and The Fred Hollows Foundation are working towards the mutual goal of closing the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples's eye health.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are three times more likely to have vision impairment or go blind than non-Indigenous Australians, and cataracts are 12 times more common among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians than other Australians. Yet over one-third of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults have never had an eye exam.
Specsavers is aiming to raise $500,000 through the sale of these limited-edition glasses for The Foundation.
The limited-edition frames are available in store and online.
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