Wellington -  Aware of the stories of his colleague Osmeivy Ortega about the damage Hurricane Irma caused in Cuba, New Zealand artists will auction some works by the two countries and will allocate what will be collected to the reconstruction of the Caribbean island.

Renowned painters Michel Tuffery, John Walsh, Stephen Ellis and Seraphine Pick, potter Andy Kingston and sculptor Clovis Viscoe are some of those who will participate in the Expo-Sale, in which about 20 engravings and paintings by 17 important Cuban artists are also included.

The New Zealand Herald newspaper says that the day after returning to his native Cuba after a five-week residency in Otahuhu College (in the city of Auckland), Osmeivy found himself amid the devastating Hurricane Irma.

Shortly after, the boy returned to New Zealand to make a mural of the Auckland airport, thanks to the arrangements made by Otahuhu College art teacher, Malcolm McAllister, and told his colleagues engaged in those works the terrible damage caused by the hurricane.

Shocked, they immediately said they wanted to help to recover Cuba and the idea of the auction emerged.

The auction will be opened today by the island's ambassador to New Zealand, Mario Alzugaray, at the George Fraser Gallery, who also offered his space for free.

The auction will be open online for three days and the amount of what will be collected will be made public on Saturday afternoon.