'Hope Rising' is a new exhibition coming to Moruya featuring the work of refugee artists

'Hope Rising' features artists from Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran trying, unsuccessfully, to move to Australia.

RAC member Mirabel Fitzgerald said viewing art created by refugees reinforced they were not just numbers, but people.

"These are people who are creative and have hopes and aspirations for their life, and this is a little insight into that," she said.

Ms Fitzgerald wants 'Hope Rising' to put the plight of refugees on the community consciousness again.

"The refugee situation goes up and down in popularity in society," she said.

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"We are trying to make people more aware that there are a lot of places that aren't as lucky as Australia."

Ms Fitzgerald said there were 1380 refugees still waiting in detention centres to come to Australia, and almost 20,000 people in the community on temporary protection visas with no sense of permanency or belonging.

She said the situation for many of these refugees was "pretty dire", with no financial support.

While not all the 45 artworks on exhibition are refugee-themed, Ms Fitzgerald said many expressed the idea of living a life "floating in limbo".

"It's an expression of their situation, and how they feel isolated and away from their country," she said.

'Hope Rising' is running from June 17 to July 2 at the Mechanics Institute, Page Street, Moruya.

All proceeds go to supporting the artists.

The exhibition coincides with National Refugee Week - running from June 17 to 25. The 2022 theme is Hope.