Our Climate Voices Presents:
Climate Grief & Eco-Anxiety
Virtual Artist Residency
Our Climate Voices is excited to present visual works from Carmen Allison, Paola Arraut, Hal Hedinger, Suhaavi Kaur, and Taylor Yingshi.
Over the past six months, these artist residents have engaged in community conversations related to their personal climate narratives, feelings of eco-anxiety, climate grief, and the development of visions for a climate just future. Through these dialogues in monthly workshops, the artist residents have engaged in creativity to process uncertainty, loss, and grief in the climate crisis. These artists now join for a live opening exhibition to share the culmination of their radical artworks that offer new and liberatory visions for climate justice. Each artist will share several works which emerged throughout the residency, offering insight into their creative process as a young artist in the climate justice movement.
Exhibition Preview
Here is a selection of the artwork that will be shared and discussed at the virtual exhibition
Yingshi, Taylor - Taylor Wang (Digital) Inspired by my visit to the Volunteer Park Conservatory, my painting depicts a girl turning back as she walks towards a pale sunlight. Dark blue, almost black vines become warm green in the sun as they entangle in a brush dotted with pink flowers. The lush forestry reflects my home state's beautiful abundance of flora and fauna, an idyllic picture of what the future of the entire planet could look like if we reversed our wasteful habits. While other figures fade into the background, the girl is the focal point of the painting similar to how my generation takes center stage in the fight for climate justice. As we walk along this path to climate restoration, we make sure to turn back and check that nobody is left behind.
Arraut, Paula - "Processing..." (Digital)
Allison, Carmen - "Climate Narrative" (Ink print) For a long time, science has been my default way of connecting with and understanding the world, and similarly, the climate crisis. However, watching world leaders brush off frightening statistics regarding rising seas and the exploitation of our planet has always been incredibly scary! It was only when I got to work organizing that I was able to get past my overwhelming feelings of desperation and fear, as there is nothing more uplifting than a community committed to bringing about positive change. The white vertical lines are made to represent hatch marks on a ruler or a measurement tool, and the rupture in the center is meant to express how I was able to gain clarity and purpose by moving beyond science. I still love science and believe that it will help us get out of this mess, but since data and innovation is often ignored when it is at odds with an agenda, organizing work is crucial in order to push the will of the people so that we can invest in effective solutions.
Hedinger, Hal - “INHALE” (Colored pencil & ink on paper, 8 x 10 in) When asked to create art that visually communicates my climate narrative, hands come to mind. The human element of climate catastrophe is inextricable from the damage of the landscape, which I show through the physical connection of a two hands: one human and one resembling a charred tree. The grief that families suffer during fire season in my home state of Montana deeply influences my personal narrative. This piece is one of a few forthcoming works that depict aspects of my climate narrative—each dealing with breath in some way.
Kuar, Suhaavi - "Tick Tock, The time won't stop" (Hanging Sculpture - garden wire, stones, poster paint, white thread, cue cards - 7 x 20 in) Time never stops for us. In 10 years the world is going to look completely different. Through this piece, I wanted to capture the way our everyday lives are entangled with the big picture of Climate Change. The Hanging stones show the before and after paintings of different sceneries and the notes attached to the thread are everyday thoughts that distract us from the big picture. Through this piece, I want to invite everyone to think about the way their stress is leading their life and distracting them from what truly matters.
Meet the artists
Carmen Allison
Carmen recently graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. While the climate crisis has long been a source of anxiety for her, Carmen has found hope and motivation in movement work, fellow organizers, staying grounded in science, as well as art. She thinks that if anything is going to get us where we need to be, it's mass cooperation, which is strengthened by mutual understanding. Storytelling and art can contribute to this sense of mutual understanding, which is why Carmen is excited to be approaching the climate justice movement from a creative angle in this residency.
Taylor Yingshi
Taylor Yingshi is an emerging artist in Seattle whose work reflects the unique experiences she has gained in adolescence. Yingshi hopes to use her art as a vessel to express the fear and uncertainty of growing up as part of an interconnected, socially conscious generation. Yingshi runs an art collective called Student Art Spaces when she is not in the studio.
Hal Hedinger
Hal graduated from Flathead High School in 2019 and is a rising sophomore at Wellesley College. She currently lives on Kilisnoo Island in Southeast Alaska, calling Kalispell, Montana home. In school she aspires to major in environmental studies and creative writing. In her free time, Hal loves to make art.
Suhaavi Kaur
Suhaavi was born in India and moved to Canada at age 12. She calls both countries home. She is currently studying Planning at the University of Waterloo and intends to specialize in Environmental Planning and Management. Suhavvi has always enjoyed being outside in nature. Being near a beach or on top of mountains is her favorite thing. She also likes to spend my time doing DIYs or listening to podcasts.
Paola Arraut
Paola (she/her) is a queer Hispanic artist and is currently attending her local high school Ronald Reagan Senior High. She grew up and lived in Miami, Florida where the sea levels are surging and where Hurricanes are becoming more prominent. She is currently working with OCV in the artist residency to learn and explore how to express climate grief within her art, in addition, she is an Action Fellow at Acespace which leads youth to learn about climate change and take action, she is also involved with 350 a group dedicated to making a change within our climate. Aside from being a passionate Artist she also partakes in playing video games, skateboarding, running, and reading manga or anime.
Are you ready?
Special thanks to our partner and collaborator Earth Rising Foundation for making this residency possible
