Reflection

Reflection

As I delved into my personal experience with climate change, I found myself reflecting on the impact it has had on my community, specifically an experience I vividly remember from October 26, 2020. On that day I received an alert to evacuate my home due to a fast-spreading wildfire encroaching on my neighborhood. Outside of my living room window, I could see a tinted orange sky with a huge cloud of billowing smoke. The scene was absolutely surreal and truly revealed to me the compounding effects of climate change in our everyday lives. This fire mirrored the fiery scenes happening in Australia during the same time period where the wildfires destroyed ecosystems and endangered species. After my 4 day evacuation, I came home to ashes and burnt trees surrounding both my home and school. In channeling my reflections into artistic expression I wanted to communicate the impact climate change, specifically wildfires, has on the environment. When I thought about these fires the first animals I thought about were birds. In my art, I drew 2 different birds represented through shadow puppets to reflect how wildfires impact the animals living in the ecosystem. The bottom bird has its wings spread, trying to flee from the scene, while the top bird is accepting its fate. To contrast the fire and the figures, I used charcoal to create a smoky and dark background, looking almost like a battle scene. The contrast between light and shadow from the shadow puppets evokes both hope and despair and resilience and surrender. Through this artistic endeavor I have learned about how climate change impacts so many aspects of our life. It not only heightens the frequency of wildfires but it also impacts a plethora of natural disasters, making them more prevalent and intense. Through my artwork I hope to alert the viewers of the detrimental effect wildfires have on the environment and urge the global community to work towards a more sustainable and green future.