Eco-Art Competition 2022

After bushfires, the nutrients stored in dead animals serve to fertilise new plant growth. In this image, the koala is presented as planting the seed for the new growth from the tree. There are many bushfires in Australia, where I live, and it’s important to note that although the fires cause a lot of destruction, they are also an opportunity for the wildlife to grow anew and regenerate. I used the koala skeleton to show the death that bushfires bring, and the plants sprouting from its mouth to show the life that its death has fueled. There is also the juxtaposition of how generally a koala would eat the sprouts from trees, but now as it has died life from the tree is sprouting from its mouth, and in a way it’s giving back to the ecosystem that has sustained it through the circle of life. I think this entry will affect those who view it by making them think about death, and how it impacts ecosystems.