Muses of Avatar: Christy Lee Rogers’ Water Art Exhibition Opens at Sweden’s Pater Noster

Christy Lee Rogers‘ stunning underwater artworks, featuring Avatar stars Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, and Kate Winslet, are now showcased at Pater Noster, a remote Swedish lighthouse island. Commissioned by James Cameron and Disney, these unique pieces are part of a fundraising effort for The Nature Conservancy. The exhibition, running from June 8 to September 29, highlights Rogers’ artistic prowess in capturing ethereal underwater scenes that blend photography with the essence of Baroque painting.

Pater Noster, a boutique hotel located on a remote lighthouse island in West Sweden, is currently hosting a unique art exhibition featuring Christy Lee Rogers’ ‘The Muses of Avatar’ series. These artworks, sponsored by James Cameron and Disney, star Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, and Kate Winslet. The exhibition aims to raise funds for The Nature Conservancy (TNC), supporting ocean conservation efforts.

James Cameron, renowned producer and director of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, is a long-time advocate for ocean preservation. He praised Christy Lee Rogers for her distinctive underwater photography style, which he had admired and collected for years. Cameron commented, “Her unique style of shooting her subjects underwater naturally inspired me to suggest she do a special shoot with our cast.”

In celebration of ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, Disney and Avatar launched the “Keep Our Oceans Amazing” campaign to raise awareness about marine life and oceanic challenges. The campaign supports TNC’s work to protect ten marine species and their habitats, drawing parallels to the beautiful world of Pandora from the Avatar series. This art sale, with 100% of net proceeds going to TNC, is one of the ways fans can contribute to the cause. 

Producer Jon Landau expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration: “Offering these unique pieces of art to benefit The Nature Conservancy through the ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’s’ ‘Keep Our Oceans Amazing’ campaign is a perfect synergy, and we were excited to collaborate with Christy.”

The “Muses of Avatar” series includes four limited edition, museum-quality photographs signed by Rogers, and a series of high-quality prints, both signed and unsigned. These are available for purchase through Fraser Scott at A Gallery Artists Ltd. 

Displayed along the dock where boats arrive at Pater Noster, the artworks are printed on recycled materials and will be on view from June 8 to September 29. Pater Noster, which has garnered international attention and several awards since its opening in 2020, including the title of the world’s best hotel concept, focuses on ocean preservation through various initiatives.

Christy Lee Rogers, a visual artist from Kailua, Hawaii, is known for breaking the conventions of contemporary photography with her underwater works. Her art has been compared to Baroque painting masters like Caravaggio. Rogers remarked, “Water is healing – it’s life itself. And as the provider of life – oxygen to all through tiny phytoplankton, our oceans need our care more than ever right now. It is a great honour to be able to help James Cameron, Jon Landau, and the ‘Avatar’ and Disney teams in realising that dream of clean and protected world oceans – through the release of these images for The Nature Conservancy.”

Dr. Lizzie McLeod, Global Ocean Director at The Nature Conservancy, emphasised the urgency of ocean conservation: “Art has the power to inspire collective action. As our ocean is facing escalating threats, we need action urgently to improve ocean health so it can continue to nourish us and inspire us. I am so grateful to visual artist Christy Lee Rogers, along with Disney and Avatar, for making possible this opportunity to support vital ocean conservation initiatives at The Nature Conservancy, through art that so beautifully conveys our interconnectedness to the sea.”

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’, directed by James Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, is the acclaimed sequel to the 2009 blockbuster hit ‘Avatar’. Nominated for four Academy Awards® including Best Picture, the film continues the story of the Sully family and their struggles on Pandora.

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organisation dedicated to preserving lands and waters. TNC aims to conserve more than 10% of the world’s ocean area by 2030.