SEVENSEAS Marine Conservation & Travel Issue 20, January 2017 | Page 120

120 - SEVENSEAS

SEVENSEAS

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FOR YOUNG CONSERVATIONISTS

Do you know a young conservationist with something to say?

Email [email protected] and we will try to share it!

Nicole Zhu

“Be Aware of Trash Shark”

Art is always my voice, my expression, and my happiness. At my last year in middle school, going to galleries and art museum, getting inspired by different amazing artists become an outlet to my busy study life.

My inspiration comes from a sculpture in an art gallery

in New York. There was a giant shark sculpture which was made out of construction waste. I am very impressed by the artist who can transform all these plastics, metal pieces, and trash into such beautiful ocean creature. So at the moment when I see the theme-Marine Debris and Plastic Pollution, I decide to use this shark image into my artwork.

My work tends to focus on protecting marine debris, plastic and oil pollution. Both the black evil hand and trash shark symbolize our oil and debris pollution. They all come from the little red boat which symbolizes our human being and our "civilized" culture.

And they are attacking our precious marine animals and ocean environment. More

and more marine pollution put our ocean in danger, but nobody realizes the nature will let her punishment upon us soon if we don't stop our pollution behaviour.

I think of my art as a warning. by looking at these lovely creatures almost eaten by the

horrific trash shark, I hope those people and companies could question themselves

why they do that and have a sense of guilt about what they did to our marine

environment.

STOP Oil and Plastic Pollution, SAVE our marine friends lives

Learn more at: http://www.fromthebowseat.org/contest.php#

January 2017 Ocean Literacy