Reflection

This creative portrait shares my personal experience with the impact of climate change living in Malaysia, where rising sea levels and flooding are common. The melting figure depicts melting icebergs, demonstrating a clear link between distant arctic ice melt and the local flooding that has contributed to the floods. I wanted to inspire empathy from the viewers by personifying the iceberg and highlighting the pain of both the natural world and the local community via one individual. The figure wears a sharp, crystalline gown with jagged, iceberg-like embellishments inspired by the lower ends of the icebergs that are hidden under water, and has soft icy hair like the snowy peaks of the upper part of the polar caps. However I used purple hues for her facial features with warmer colours to humanise her and represent us as people, and not a simple personification. I wanted to show both the direct result of climate change and also the indirect butterfly effect of humans, who are the very cause of global warming also first-hand experiencing the sun's heat from the deteriorating ozone layer and floods from the rising sea levels that destroy our communities. I hope the art triggers thoughts about how the pain is shared, and not to be pitiful or indifferent towards. The message to viewers is: climate change is not a disconnected topic; its consequences are felt right now in our communities. We must recognise our relationship with the environment and take action.