As wildfires continue to burn across B.C., the conversation around climate change has become more important than ever.
Often, conversations around the environment tend to get complicated and fail to inform and educate people.
But there are creative and perhaps, artistic ways to simplify these conversations.
To help people around her recognize wasteful living habits and adopt sustainable practices, Yeonmi (Yun-Me) Kim is exhibiting her work, ‘Art of Upcycling’ exhibition at Pitt Meadows Art Gallery till September 5.
We spoke to her about her inspiration to showcase her work and what she hopes to achieve.
“I practise sustainable living and as a nature lover, the theme appears naturally in my work. As I use recycled materials for my work, I thought [this] is the right show for me [to] share with artists who have common interests and sense,” Kim said.
Using plastic to explain climate change
Returning to the show for the third time, Kim said she enjoys creating landscape work because it can help her viewers better understand the impacts of climate change.
“Personally, I enjoy producing mapping pieces. I like to capture more abstract imagery with lines and negative space. As I reproduce Google satellite images of locations that are affected by climate change, showing the locations to viewers is important to let them know how [fragile our life is],” she said.
One of the three pieces Kim has exhibited is titled T. Hagibis. Made from plastic packages, acrylic paint and thread, the work depicts a 2019 typhoon in Japan that left several dead and homeless.
Kim hopes people will begin to question their consumption habits and understand the urgency of climate change.
“I would like my audience to look at what is a fundamental urgency in our life and act on the seriousness of environmental pollution and wasteful consumerism, by practising sustainable living,” she said.
