The Royal Society of Arts today unveiled The King of Sustainability at its home in the heart of London.
The art work is a striking portrait of His Majesty The King created entirely from reclaimed and natural materials, and will be on public display between late June and September.
Part of the Royal Collection, the work is being lent by The King for public display at the Royal Society of Arts following its recent exhibition at Mansion House. The installation will occupy the same prominent space at RSA House previously home to the Society’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
Created by Texan artist Michael Shellis in collaboration with social entrepreneur Taz Khan MBE, founder of London’s Community Kitchen, the artwork is constructed from salvaged wood, discarded materials, fallen petals and flowers collected from London’s Royal Parks, and organic dyes made from coffee waste.
Inspired by His Majesty’s long-standing environmental philosophy – including themes explored in his book Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World – the piece reimagines waste as beauty, dignity and public value. At its heart is a message about circularity, stewardship and the transformative potential of creativity.
The RSA, founded in 1754 as a meeting place for artists, inventors and reformers, has long championed the idea that creativity can help shape a better society. The exhibition of The King of Sustainability reflects the institution’s continuing mission to place creativity in service of the common good, and to convene public conversations around the defining questions of the age.
Laure Barthelemy, curator at the Royal Society of Arts, said:
“The Royal Society of Arts has always believed that creativity can help society see differently and imagine differently. The King of Sustainability is a powerful example of art carrying public purpose – transforming overlooked materials into something both beautiful and deeply resonant.
As a home for creativity and public dialogue, we are delighted to welcome the work to the Royal Society of Arts and to create space for wider conversations around sustainability, circularity, community and the role of art in shaping public understanding.”
The RSA is also exploring a public programme around the installation, bringing together voices from the worlds of art, sustainability, food justice and community action. This may include a discussion event with the artist and collaborators, alongside a short film documenting the creation of the work and the materials behind it.
The Royal Society of Arts is the home of creativity for the common good.
Founded in 1754 in a Covent Garden coffee house, the Royal Society of Arts was built on a radical idea: that human ingenuity, given the right conditions, can solve the world’s most pressing challenges. Born in the Enlightenment and reshaped for each new era, we have spent more than 270 years bringing together bold thinkers and doers to turn ideas into action.
Our global Fellowship spans more than 80 countries and includes artists, entrepreneurs, educators, scientists and public leaders. From historic figures like Benjamin Franklin and Marie Curie to contemporary voices shaping today’s world, we have always been a place where different perspectives meet to spark new thinking.
Today, we work at the intersection of ideas and action. Through events, research and partnerships, we tackle the defining issues of our time – from education and local economies to culture and community. We connect people across disciplines, test new approaches, and scale what works.
Our mission is simple: to bring people and ideas together, and turn shared imagination into real progress.
Royal Collection Trust is a charity caring for the Royal Collection and welcoming visitors to the royal palaces. We bring our shared history to life through world-class experiences that involve and inspire people, wherever they are. Income from tickets and retail sales helps us to conserve the Collection so that it can be enjoyed by everyone for generations to come.
The Royal Collection is one of the world’s great art collections, held in trust by The King for his successors and the nation. With over a million objects, from paintings, drawings and books to sculpture, furniture and jewellery, it is a unique record of the tastes of British kings and queens over the past 500 years, with many items still used today for their original purpose. The Collection can be seen in palaces, museums and galleries across the UK and around the world, and can be explored online at www.rct.uk.
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