Reflection

Water is not only a human right, it is also a basic need for survival. However, over 1 billion people lack access to clean drinking water due to climate change, pollution and overconsumption. I created this piece of art to demonstrate how access to clean water differs based on people’s race, ethnicity, location, and socioeconomic status. The freshly manicured hand pictured at the top of the drawing is representative of wealthier communities who have a surplus of resources. The water running through the woman’s hand is clean and crisp, but as it drains down the page, it gradually becomes murkier. By the time the water has trickled down to the boy, it is scarce and contaminated, yet the boy is still reaching for some to drink. The child in the picture fades into the background as a depiction of low income communities, who are often forgotten by other individuals and large corporations. His shadow dissolves into a skeleton, demonstrating the deaths caused by unsafe water supplies in poverty stricken neighborhoods. Although environmental injustice is a pressing issue, many people (myself included) do not realize the ways they contribute to the problem. Producing items, such as the diamond bracelets on the woman’s wrist, consumes a great deal of important resources and leads to contamination within waterways. My artwork can be used to bring awareness to pressing global issues of inadequate access to resources that encumber many communities.