The focus of Natalia Kapchuk’s art is the beauty of the nature and the ecological threats the world is now facing.
The artist uses her art to champion causes that resonate with all of us, bringing our attention to the pollution and ills of climate change threatening our world today. The creative artistic process starts with extensive research on the topics of global warming, the pollution of the ocean through plastic and other destructive behaviors impacting nature.
As a result, the artist expresses the message that humanity should think more about environmental protections and the conservation of natural resources.
The Lost Planet collection of mixed media artworks emphasizes how the effects of human actions are changing and destroying nature.
“Plastic pollution is without doubt one of the major threats to our planet, and thus we need to tackle it through innovate angles. I believe that Arts have the power of touching people’s hearts, and that’s why we’re delighted to be part of Natalia’s exhibition and to help her to create an impact and to inspire many individuals to become change makers.”
— Juan Castaño Vilas, Regional Director, Plastic Oceans Europe, 2021
“The global environmental problems we face are caused by billions of individual acts and decisions — we are all in this together. Earthwatch, as a science-based organization works across sectors of society to motivate change through creating knowledge and inspiring action. Using art as a means of communicating the issues we face increases the numbers and diversity of people we can reach on these issues. We are therefore, thrilled to be part of Natalia’s exhibition.”
— Dr Neil Bailey, Director of Philanthropy, Earthwatch Europe, 2021.
Algae Bloom, 2022
Wood base, flocking (repurposed sawdust), acrylic paint, fiberglass construction
Diameter 110 cm, Mixed Media
Our planet is home to an extensive plant population with varieties of species possessing the ability to grow and prosper in differing conditions and locations. Whether on land, in the oceans and waterways, or in desert climates, these living organisms are resilient. Even in the extreme weather conditions of Antarctica, Earth’s plant inhabitants thrive in what can be considered adversity. Though the list of places plants grow is extensive, we turn to the ocean and waterways and observe a group of nonflowering plants —algae.
Algae are a plant group usually found in all types of waters, including salt, fresh, and brackish, grouped into two categories, seaweed and phytoplankton. Seaweed are large plants composed of many cells, while phytoplankton are smaller single-celled organisms. Periodically, both seaweed and phytoplankton rapidly grow or ’bloom,’ which is a natural process. However, overgrowths of algae within the Earth’s waters cause the occurrence of harmful algae or algal blooms as they are sometimes referred, endangering human health, the environment, economies, and all Earth’s inhabitant, often producing dangerous toxins and cyanobacteria in fresh or marine waters.
The increase in frequency and severity across the globe concerning algae blooms is due to climatological issues like warming water temperatures, elevated carbon dioxide levels, changes in salinity, rising sea levels, and much more. For these reasons, artist Natalia Kapchuk created her piece Algae Bloom (2022) to bring light to such disheartening developments and to underscore humanity’s need for drastic measures to thwart such concerns of destruction and to bringforth a healthier planet for present and future generations alike.