Artist Reg Mombassa to color Sydney's New Year Eve

Celebrated Australian artist Reg Mombassa will lend his creativity and absurdist humour to this year's spectacular 2013 Sydney New Year's Eve celebrations. Riffing on the theme of "Shine", Mombassa has already created a high-rise Sydney Opera House and "all-seeing eye" among illustrations that will have the city decked out in whimsy with colorful banners and signs. The artist has also been working on the much-anticipated Bridge Effect for the Sydney Harbour Bridge display -- top secret until its official revelation on December 31 at the midnight countdown. "Reg is one of Australia's greatest living artists and cultural exports who cleverly combines thoughtful insights with a signature irreverence, which reflects our life and culture," said Sydney Mayor Clover Moore. "His work is bold and colourful with an absurdist humour that brings a smile to people's faces, so his unique vision is a perfect match for our biggest event. "It will be fantastic to see his striking designs across Sydney and I can't wait to see his rope-light Bridge Effect during the fireworks displays," she added. Mombassa said it was exciting to be working on an event witnessed by more than 1 billion people around the world. "It has been an interesting and challenging job designing artwork for what is arguably the biggest party in the world," Mombassa said. "Sydney NYE is an inspiring and happy event where people get the opportunity to have a big party and enjoy their city at its best. "I have used the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House quite extensively in previous pictures so it was a familiar and attractive proposition to do something based on the harbour," he added. Mombassa commented that when thinking about the theme of "Shine ", the eye was the strongest concept that came to mind -- reflecting vision and individualism. "The eyes are the most interesting part of the human face and there is that idea of the eye being the window to the soul, as well as the spiritual aspect of the third eye, from which shines an invisible metaphysical laser beam," he said. Every year the NYE event attracts about 1.6 million people to Sydney Harbour, with 2.6 million tuning in at home. It also generates about 156 million Australian dollars (149 million U.S. dollars) for the local economy.