Carbon Removal Art: The 8 Best Art Projects to Know (2026)

Carbon removal art is art that does more than depict climate change: it works directly with carbon, soil, trees and living systems to draw carbon down or keep it out of the atmosphere. Can art really help remove carbon? A growing group of artists says yes. Below are eight of the best art projects for carbon removal and climate repair, from land art pioneers to contemporary artworks made from carbon itself.

What is carbon removal art?

Carbon removal art usually does at least one of three things:

• Uses carbon as a material. The artwork is made from charcoal, biochar or captured carbon, so that carbon is stored in a stable, long-lived object.
• Actively draws carbon down. The project plants trees, restores soil or regenerates land that absorbs CO2 over decades.
• Makes carbon visible. The work turns an invisible process into something the public can see, touch and talk about.

The strongest carbon removal art projects do more than one of these at once, pairing real environmental impact with a lasting cultural conversation.

The 8 best art projects for carbon removal

1. The Carbon Art by Abhijeet Shrivastava

Abhijeet Shrivastava creates museum-quality artworks from charcoal and biochar, turning the material at the centre of the climate crisis into the medium itself. Because biochar is a stable form of carbon, each piece physically holds carbon that would otherwise return to the atmosphere. His collections explore climate, wildlife and culture, and his work has been recognised by the White House. Each piece connects art collecting with real climate impact. See the impact or explore the collection.

2. 7000 Oaks by Joseph Beuys (1982)

For documenta 7 in Kassel, Beuys began planting 7,000 oak trees, each paired with a basalt stone. Decades later the trees are still growing and storing carbon, making it one of the earliest artworks to function as long-term carbon drawdown. The project was later extended to West 22nd Street in New York, where Dia Art Foundation still cares for the trees.

3. Wheatfield and Tree Mountain by Agnes Denes

Denes planted a two-acre wheat field in Lower Manhattan in 1982, then created Tree Mountain in Finland: 11,000 trees planted on a reclaimed gravel pit, designed to last for centuries. Tree Mountain is often cited as one of the first artworks conceived as a long-term ecological intervention.

4. Revival Field by Mel Chin (1991)

Chin worked with scientists to use plants that absorb heavy metals from contaminated soil, framing land repair itself as a sculpture. While its focus was soil remediation rather than CO2, it set the template for art that measurably restores the land.

5. Future Library by Katie Paterson (2014 to 2114)

In 2014 Paterson planted 1,000 trees in Nordmarka forest outside Oslo. Each year a writer contributes a manuscript that stays unread until 2114, when the trees will be cut to print the anthology. Future Library is a century-long artwork that makes the slow time of forests, and of carbon storage, impossible to ignore.

6. Beuys’ Acorns by Ackroyd & Harvey

Artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey collected acorns from Beuys’ original 7000 Oaks and grew them into saplings. In 2021 they installed 100 of these young oaks outside Tate Modern in London, extending the carbon story of Beuys’ project into a new generation of trees.

7. AIR-INK by Graviky Labs

Graviky Labs captures carbon soot from diesel exhaust and turns it into AIR-INK, an ink used by artists and designers. It is one of the clearest examples of captured carbon becoming an art material, keeping pollution out of the air and putting it on paper and walls instead.

8. Ice Watch by Olafur Eliasson and Minik Rosing

Blocks of melting Greenland ice were installed in public squares, including Paris during COP21 in 2015, letting people touch the reality of warming. Ice Watch does not remove carbon itself, but it is one of the most powerful examples of making the climate crisis visible to millions of people.

Why carbon removal art matters

Carbon removal is often discussed in tonnes and technical reports that most people never read. Carbon removal art translates that work into objects and places people can experience. A tree planted as an artwork is cared for for decades. A drawing made from biochar keeps its carbon locked away for as long as the work is preserved. And every exhibition starts conversations that numbers alone rarely do.

How to support carbon removal through art

• Collect work made from carbon. Choosing art made from charcoal, biochar or captured carbon keeps that material out of the atmosphere.
• Commission corporate art with impact. Companies can align their spaces with their climate goals through corporate art commissions.
• Visit and share public projects. Living works such as 7000 Oaks and Future Library depend on public care and attention.
• Share the stories. Art makes climate science feel human, and that changes conversations.

Frequently asked questions about carbon removal art

What is the best art project for carbon removal?

Projects that combine real carbon drawdown with public engagement stand out, such as Joseph Beuys’ 7000 Oaks, Katie Paterson’s Future Library and contemporary work made from carbon, like The Carbon Art by Abhijeet Shrivastava.

Can art actually remove carbon?

Yes. Art can store carbon in its material, fund carbon removal, or drive land restoration such as tree planting. The impact of a single artwork is small, but carbon removal art scales through collectors, commissions and the public conversations it creates.

What materials are used in carbon removal art?

Common materials include charcoal, biochar, captured soot (as in AIR-INK), living trees and restored soil.

Where can I buy carbon art?

Original works and limited editions are available in The Carbon Art collection. For commissions, get in touch.