EcoArts

LIFE BELOW WATER

Bangkok, Thailand

petaxhosakull@gmail.com

Art as an Act of Dissent

EcoArts

EcoArts is a youth-led initiative based in Bangkok, Thailand. We aim to use creativity and art as the means to inspire a new generation of environmental leaders and combat plastic pollution.

Sustainable Development Goal 14 : Life below Water

WHO WE ARE

About EcoArts

EcoArts is a youth-led initiative based in Bangkok, Thailand. Created to address SDG Goal #14: Life Below Water, EcoArts aims to combat the growing issue of plastic pollution in Thailand which has persisted over the past decades. This initiative was founded on the belief that creativity can propel change, and so we aim to use art as a means to convey and urge others upon the harms attributed to the overconsumption of plastic that has been overlooked. Beyond environmental impact, we aim to inspire the younger generation to adopt this new approach in combating plastic pollution.

The Problem

In Thailand, a statistic from TDRI shows an average of 1.03 ton of mismanaged waste has been produced each year and 0.41 ton flows into the sea, plastic pollution has become a growing issue over the past decades, disrupting marine ecosystems and coastal communities across Thailand. At the local level, plastic pollution has led to health risks regarding microplastics entering the food chain through seafood, endanger marine life in coastal areas due to polluted shorelines, and hence deteriorate ecosystems and habitat loss of marine life in the coastal communities. Moreover, inadequate support to promote environmental awareness in tourism, along with proper education regarding waste management and effective sustainable solutions, further exacerbates this issue.

MATERIALS COLLECTED

Our Impact in Numbers

Through our projects, we have collected and repurposed various types of waste materials to create meaningful artworks.

Plastic waste

0 Kg

Fishing nets

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Shoes

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General waste

0 Kg

Total

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Journey of Trash to Treasure

Initial Ideas

Trash Collection & Sorting

Team Discussion and Brainstorming

Creation of Artworks

Final Exhibition and Auction

Final Creations

Eight Arms of Change

Eight Arms of Change: Emerged from the reimagination of waste as a tangible of transformation, each of the 8 arms represents a key principle underlying environmental advocacy and action. The 8 key principles include community engagement, creativity, awareness, transformation, restoration, education, innovation, and hope. Together, these arms symbolize the many ways we can contribute to protecting our oceans, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own role in creating positive change.

The Last Drop

The Last Drop: The piece was created with the intention of bringing the fragility of our planet’s relationship with plastic and water to light. Its droplet-like form symbolizes the preciousness of every remaining drop of clean water, while the vibrant fragments highlight how something so visually appealing can also be harmful to the environment. Through this piece, we aim to highlight the irony of creating a water droplet, a symbol of life and purity, from discarded plastic that threatens the very water it represents.

The Shell We Made

The Shell We Made: Each vibrant cap and fragment forms a mosaic of color, simultaneously beautiful and unsettling, revealing how the materials meant to serve convenience have become a weight upon marine life. The turtles’ shells, made from discarded materials, shows how human actions have left a lasting mark on marine life and reminding the audience of their responsibility to protect the ocean.

Dugong’s Last Tide

Dugong’s Last Tide: This piece captures the haunting moment between life and suffocation, presenting the sea as a space of struggle. Hence, the piece mirror the devastating impact of human negligence on marine life. This piece forces the audience to confront the true cost of convenience and to remember that every piece of plastic neglected finds its way back to the sea, to nature, and to us. Ultimately, we aim to urge the audience to protect what remains before the tide turns for good.

Act of Redemption

Constructed from salvaged metal, driftwood, and plastic waste, the figure represents the very waste it chooses to remove. The peice highlights humanity’s role in both creating and resolving the problem of plastic pollution. Through this piece, we aim to emphasize that change begins with individual action, encouraging viewers to see environmental responsibility as something within their reach, inspiring them to take small but meaningful steps toward protecting our oceans.

Currents of Consumption

The composition of this piece resembles both a living coral formation and a vortex of waste, blurring the line between life and litter. Its bright colors lure the viewer closer, only to reveal fragments of pollution embedded within beauty. Through this piece, we aim to confront the audience with the consequences of a culture driven by convenience, reminding them that every piece of plastic we discard enters the current of life itself.

Veil of The Sea

This is a painting of a large fishing net filled with colorful plastic waste and other discarded materials. it depicts fish, corals, and other sea creatures caught beneath a delicate yet suffocating mesh. The net, both physical and symbolic, acts as a veil, obscuring the ocean’s natural vibrancy while revealing the harsh reality of the debris polluting the ocean. This piece highlights how human carelessness has transformed the ocean from a sanctuary into a place of struggle, reminding viewers that the pollution threatening marine life also affects the future of our planet.