Canberra artist Mick Ashley will officially launch his 2023 calendar at a public event open to all his fans later this month.
Ashley always hits the mark in celebrating and skewering Canberra in his work, but he says the 2023 calendar will contain "quite possibly the most controversial image I've ever done".
It's a comment on abortion rights, referencing The Handmaid's Tale, with Ashley saying he couldn't ignore the issue.
"The image in question looks at the wonderful news that Canberrans now have free access to safe abortion services," he said.
"It's a very divisive topic sparked by the USA's Supreme Court's ruling to overturn the 1973 decision in Roe vs Wade which removed a woman's constitutional right to get an abortion.
"I know many who sit on both sides and the fence has become too narrow to sit on now. For me I feel very strongly about basic rights for people."
Other images in the calendar are a lot lighter - including a dog walker stumbling onto the winter solstice nude swim in Lake Burley Griffin, a riff on returning to work, comment on petrol prices and, of course, a reference to the perennial Canberra favourite "Form One Lane".
Pre-orders of the calendar are now available on Ashley's website at mickashley.com.au/
The official launch of the calendar will be held at Herbert's at Evatt on Wednesday, August 31 at 7pm.
It is "open to everyone and anyone".
