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Breathe! (Act now to save our future)
On 16 March 2019, an estimated 1.4 million young people across 123 countries skipped school, demanding stronger climate policies in one of the largest environmental protests in history. Greta Thunberg’s powerful words at
Davos still resonate:
“I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act.”
Reading about critical air pollution levels in London, I was horrified to discover an entire industry producing “fun” gas masks for children – complete with bright colours and cute designs. Demand is global.
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The World Health Organisation estimates air pollution kills 7 million people annually. A Hello Kitty print won’t fix this.
Children bear the brunt of a crisis we created. They are our future, and it’s on us to protect it.
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In the “Breathe!” series, Nikko, Artiguane, Hector, and Cassian are shrouded in smog, wearing gas masks adorned with hand-drawn symbols of hope: the sun for solar energy, a cloud for wind, waves for hydro, and leaves for biomass. Diffused light and fog evoke the impressionist aesthetic – painting the air itself.
The images are haunting. The smog, thick and oppressive, feels alive, suffocating the children. Artiguane raises a hand, as if questioning the adults who failed him. Nikko’s flashlight cuts through the haze like a sword, but his stance is one of defeat.
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Our children are sombre warriors, fighting battles they didn’t choose. They can’t win unless we act like grown-ups.
Photographer: Elina Pasok
Producer: Laurence David
Kids: Nikko, Artiguane, Hector and Cassian
2019, London
Blueprints
Superimposed blueprints of the most influential inventions.
Detailed schemes of a printing press, an engine, an airplane, spinning wheel, etc. Each invention is a testament to human creativity and the relentless pursuit of progress. The printing press revolutionised the spread of knowledge, the steam engine powered the Industrial Revolution, and the airplane redefined boundaries, connecting distant corners of the world. The spinning wheel symbolises the evolution of craftsmanship and industry.
Modern Gods
As part of my final MA degree project, I created four new anthropomorphic deities – gods of non-renewable resources, whose wrath hangs heavily over us. The Goddess of Coal, the Goddess of Oil, the God of Natural Gas, and the God of Nuclear Power. Each of them has a backstory, and the photographs are filled with details that hint at their legends.
From the beginning of time, humanity has needed explanations for the forces of nature – so we created spirits and gods. Almost every culture has deities of water, fire, earthquakes, or wind, and there are countless myths about the mighty gods who rule over nature. Their wrath – floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, forest fires – always brings inevitable destruction. We haven’t created new gods yet, but perhaps it’s time?
(Exhibited at Victoria House, Bloomsbury Square, London)
Black Mood
Moody dark post-production using a mix of old and new tech,
like shooting the screen of an old TV.
