Students in Grade 12 at Ibn Khuldoon National School in Bahrain created pieces for an art exhibition depicting and promoting sustainable development. The art exhibition was a display of original artistic pieces that showcased students' understandings and aspirations for the world around them. The pieces also envisioned their hopes for the future.
Students were allowed to choose any ongoing world issue (local and global) to inform others how to navigate challenges and propose possible solutions. Students worked with different faculty members as mentors to seek guidance and bring to fruition their thoughts through their art.
According to Global Schools Advocate, Mubeen Safura, "It was a surprise to see their incredible work and deep thoughts as young citizens of this world ready to take up challenges in order to make it better and more peaceful for all."
Scroll below to see the fabulous artwork!
The Jellyfish of Today
Student Caption: "My intention in the creation of this piece is to raise awareness on the issue of marine/ocean pollution, more specifically by pollutants such as plastic bags. The jellyfish seen in this piece are obviously not naturally jellyfish, but made of plastic instead, and that truly reflects how common and abundant plastic is in our oceans, and other bodies of water."
E-Waste
Student Caption: "The hidden danger/environmental issue that is being shown in this piece is the danger of laptops or computers being turned into e-waste and polluting the environment. This piece showcases someone (me) reading an article about how computers and laptops are dismantled and thrown away in China, while using a laptop myself to read the article, making it quite ironic. The environmental costs are high, and there are many bad effects that are a result of this pollution. The remnants of these electronics are found in streams that could pollute water supplies. The air is full of smoke from burning plastics, and 80% of children in that province suffer from respiratory disease."
Cling Film
Student Caption: "The issue that is being shown in this piece is the danger of plastics such as cling film and plastic bags and how they pollute the environment, more specifically the seas and the oceans. The left side of the piece showcases a bowl of fruit covered in plastic cling film to keep it clean and in order to keep it from getting ruined or going bad. However, the right side depicts how plastics (cling film and plastic bangs in this case) are always ending up in our world's oceans, polluting them, and destroying the habitats of many marine inhabitants."
Bottled Waves
Student Caption "This piece can be interpreted in more than one way, for example, it could be seen as a hidden danger, the danger of water through waves (Tsunamis, floods, and other forms of dangerous waves) which are considered to be environmental issues/natural disasters that have become increasingly common as a result of climate change. This piece showcases a regular plastic water bottle that looks cold and refreshing, however, what lurks behind is a tall, dark, and terrifying wave that is waiting to crash down and cause destruction. Water is the main source of life, but can be the cause of death in many situations as mentioned above. The second interpretation could be that plastic water/beverage bottles are some of the most common pollutants found in our oceans."
CO2
Student Caption: "CO2 is a visual representation of 3 major environmental issues merged into 1 piece including air pollution, hunting, and littering/plastic pollution. The air pollution is shown through the smoke in the background and the gas mask the Oryx is wearing. The second issue, hunting, is shown through the animal itself and the number at the bottom of the canvas that represents the remaining population of this animal in the middle east. The animal is also culturally relevant as it is the national animal of Bahrain along with many other Arab countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Jordan. Finally, the issue of plastic pollution/littering is displayed in the horns of the animal where many waste materials are evident, they include common items such as water bottles, milk cartons, tissue boxes, plastic bags, etc."
Do not feed!
Student Caption: "This artwork is a reflection of plastic/waste pollution, which is among the most common environmental issues present in our world today, and a true indicator of that is found through the addition of a disposable face mask being held in the beak of the falcon in the center of the canvas. Furthermore, facemasks are very often wrongly disposed of and end up as littler along with other forms of waste. The falcon on the other hand has a direct link to my culture or the Arab culture in general as it is the national animal of the UAE and is considered to be a precious bird that is in great demand and is seen as a symbol of courage and force.
The endangered list
Student Caption: "This piece is a series of three sketches that represent the skulls of three different animals that are on the WFF conservation list of threatened species. The Tiger, Green Turtle, and Mountain Gorilla are all listed as Endangered on this list. This heavily relates to my theme as hunting/poaching is one of the most concerning environmental issues we face today."
The Mirror Room
Student Caption: "Both sides of the painting have their own story, some may define the right side as more beautiful than the left. However, they are a reflection of each other which in turn shows that whatever you see there is always a beautiful side to it. The way women feel oppressed feels like they are trapped and lost, and this is represented on the left side of the piece where there is a lonely chair in the middle of the woods. On the other hand, the right side of the painting could be described as fun and delightful due to the bright colors and greenery. Both sides of the painting have their own story, some may define the right side as more beautiful than the left. However, they are a reflection of each other which in turn shows that whatever you see there is always a beautiful side to it."
The Eye in the Mirror
Student Caption: "Inspired by Sebastian Erikson's graphite renderings of the expression of anxiety and depression, I wanted this piece to communicate how humans hide their sadness, yet the mirror shows the truth. This relates to how Earth may look beautiful on the outside, but it's slowly becoming ruined through our selfish misuse of the world's resources.
Left photo: Back to Mother Nature
Center and Right photo: Cigarette's harm
Left Photo Student Caption: "This is a depiction of death surrounded by vibrant life. Inspired by Andy Warhol's bright prints and Patrice Murclano's skeletal subjects. I wanted this piece to communicate that when we die, we return to the land that created us. The roses blooming serves as a representative that once we leave this Earth, nature has the power to overcome our destruction.
Center and Right Photo Student Caption: "The girl is smoking, but it is harmful to the environment, therefore vine leaves are attempting to wrap around her neck to prevent her from smoking. The second artwork depicts how smoking has damaged her and the guilt she feels as a result of it. She looks up with sorrowful eyes to express her regret, and her mind goes blank because she has harmed nature and has no idea what she has just done."
The Last Kiss
Student Caption: "Humans have put the planet in jeopardy by neglecting it. These birds' final moments have been captured, and the fire is the result of ongoing climate change brought about by human activity. Fire destroys things quickly, showing nature's power as inspired by Hokusai. This piece helps people understand the severity of pollution's effects on the environment."
Society's Jail
Student Caption: "This is a depiction of my view on society and how the elders try to guide the younger generation to do better and embrace themselves without giving into societal pressures. Inspired by Warhols' "Sotheby's Self-Portrait" I decided to use feminine colors such as pink and purple. Pink symbolizes the love of oneself and approachability while purple represents wisdom."
Layers of Illusion
Student Caption: "I juxtaposed abstracted forms with realistic forms. Each of which represented illusion versus reality, respectively. I utilized layers and symbolism to illustrate the layers of reality involved in creating illusions. Often, I found myself wondering if I was the person I was on social media if my following were the people they were on social media. This piece helped me accept the dual reality we live in."
Nature's growing death
Student Caption: "The girl in the mirror depicts a younger version of the girl outside the mirror. As time goes on, people begin to neglect nature. We have grown up in an environment that has deemed it normal to throw trash, it's shown as the older girl holds trash, the younger version of herself holds plants. The heart strings show connections between the older and younger versions of the girl, they're the same person yet so different."
The not so golden age
Student Caption: "Here I contrast the digital world with the natural world. I'm especially commenting on how the digitalization of the natural world has caused a decrease in overall life satisfaction. The simple things are no longer being enjoyed like they are meant to. I contrast a flat circuit board pattern with the complete form, shadows, and movement in waves of nature."
Check out even more photos and paintings below! Congratulations to all!!
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