The Future We Contemplate

Edward approached this drawing with a heavy heart. He reflects the grim reality of where we might be headed if urgent action isn’t taken to reduce pollution and find ways to repurpose plastic waste. By using mixed media, including part of a shopping bag for the tree, this artwork is rendered in black and white. A young woman sits in a seaside park, her thoughts heavy as she contemplates the planet’s future. The view before her is blurred by smog, the tree beside her is charred. There are no birds, no sailboats, no flowers, no sunshine, no vibrant colours and it’s this bleakness that makes her turn away from the view in sadness.

Although there were early efforts by State Governments to ban lightweight single-use plastic bags, it’s disheartening to now see grocers and retailers selling heavyweight, multi-coloured branded plastic bags instead. Progress around recycled plastics has also stalled, with 50% recycled content being treated as 'enough', but it isn't. Pollution from waste and fossil fuels continues to grow, threatening our ecosystems and environments. But it doesn’t have to come to this. While there is no simple 'Planet B' solution, meaningful change is still possible. It demands strong, immediate action to drastically cut waste and pollution and to drive industries to innovate and reinvest in reusing materials that would otherwise pollute our land, air, and oceans.

Model: Lotus Lui