Eco-Art Competition 2022

Change must be instigated, knowledge must be taught, and problems can only be solved with action. It is in this way that sustainability will be established and our planet preserved. In this colored pencil depiction of aged hands passing fig fruit to the outstretched hand of a child, I explored the idea of regeneration- the passing on or rebirth of values or ideas. The mature hands represent generations before us, the child’s hand represents our generation today, and the fig fruit represents knowledge. Just as the old must provide food for the young and the young must receive it to live, the old must provide teaching for the young, and the young must receive it to learn. We can learn from past mistakes and see that change must be made to preserve our planet, whether that change be an altered diet, use of energy and resources, or agricultural practice. Without knowledge about how to live sustainably, our planet will fade, just as without food, the youth will go hungry. As the fruit is passed, a seed is planted and an idea is shared. The pen-sketched rings on the tree stump in the background represent the time and struggles of reformation, and the years it takes for results to be realized. Just as a fruit takes time to grow and ripen, knowledge takes time to spread and propagate change. At the end of our lives, what will we have cultivated to pass on to our successors? Will we have set any example for sustainable living? Let this piece of art move you to act. Let our generation come to represent the mature hands, let us have something of value to pass onto the next generation, let us instigate a move towards sustainability, and let the fruit of our labor benefit all.