Video of Maldives
Caption: The Maldives
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Caption: The Maldives is the lowest and flattest country in the world. As global temperatures increase, sea levels are rising rapidly, threatening the island nation's existence.
I travelled there this past Dec/Jan for the second time,
to collect material and inspiration to create a body of work that celebrates and represents a nation that could be entirely underwater
within 30 years.
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Caption: Most of the roads are not paved in the Maldives. They flood often with rain and sea water
Video
Caption: Water is an endless source of inspiration to me. I think of it as a metaphor for life- constantly transforming, both fearsomely and beautifully, never the same from one moment to the next.
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Caption: Maldives no.13 was the first drawing I completed after my return home to the studio
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Caption: It's the biggest drawing I've ever made!
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Caption: My collaborator Drew Denny and I reconnected with our dear Maldivian friends, Ima and Shiham! They both volunteer for ECOCARE, a non-profit organization that educates children of the Maldives about protecting and sustaining their environment.
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Caption: We rose at 5am to catch the first sunrise of 2015- it was spectacular!
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Caption: I got a bad sunburn, and completely cut up by the coral while I photographed this wave for 2 hours! It was well worth it :)
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Caption: This was my inspiration for the drawing I am working on now...
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Caption: This is the drawing I am working on now! It is the most detailed and complicated composition I have ever attempted. After a long day in the studio I sometimes feel crosseyed. Other days I breeze by in a meditative zone, lost in the abstractions.
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Caption: I hope my drawings will raise awareness and invite viewers to share the urgency of the Maldivians’ predicament in a productive and hopeful way. I believe art can facilitate a deeper understanding of crises, helping us find meaning and optimism amidst shifting landscapes.
