Reflection

The sight of the ocean, with its picturesque beaches and stunning coral reefs, often leaves us awestruck, inspired, and healthier both mentally and physically. But over time, our relationship to the sea has become estranged and commercialized. Tourists flock to the coast to sunbathe, party, and flaunt glamorous lifestyles in hotels and yachts. In accommodating these demands, ecosystems suffer devastating losses in habitat and biodiversity. Additionally, human activity pollutes the ocean with 11 million metric tonnes of plastic yearly, marring the beaches we treat as our resorts and amusement parks. To juxtapose the reality of this mass destruction and satirize humanity's ignorance, my work is dominated by a giant, overly idealistic depiction of a coral reef. The subjects of the painting face the screen, entranced by a fantasy world too vibrant and exaggerated to exist. Meanwhile, they turn their backs on the real waterline beyond the screen. We must not remain negligent in what truly matters: responsible stewardship and conservation. It's time to let go of the glamorized images we've manufactured around the oceans and accept that the current reality is far more tragic. But our future doesn't have to be. My piece is intended to be a warning and a call to action. I look forward to seeing my peers step out of our artificial, digital spheres to relish in the real beauty of our oceans and experience all of its benefits, while working to preserve it for generations to come.