18th Estuary and Ecology Art Awards  2024 ......2ND PLACE Winner

​Eyes Wide Open 2024  

​In a world threatened by environmental cataclysms, the Tāmaki Estuary emerges as a stage for a surreal science fiction narrative. Amidst its diverse landscape, discarded plastic dolls, relics of a forgotten era, navigate the mud, devoid of human presence. These once-beloved playthings embody the consequences of our disposable culture, their persistence contrasting with the impermanence of life.

With an estimated one billion Barbie dolls produced, their legacy becomes a haunting reminder of our impact on the planet. As such Barbie becomes an emblematic of the contradiction in our desire for constant and transient novelty/goods, at the expense of permanent damage to the environment.
This work delves into this poignant narrative, exploring themes of survival and resilience in the face of ecological turmoil. Through the juxtaposition of human-made objects and natural surroundings, I seek to provoke contemplation of our relationship with this unique ecology and the repercussions of our actions. These once seductive dolls, now melded with the mud, blur the boundaries between animate and inanimate - real and artificial - inviting reflection on our place in the world.
As we confront the dystopian reality of microplastics infiltrating our air and bodies, these dolls serve as relics of a bygone civilization, urging us to reconsider our values and embrace a more sustainable future.