Biosphere Youth Art Exhibition
As part of the 2024 Custodians of Place Youth Climate Conference NYAG is also holding a whole of May Art Exhibition in the foyer of The J. Our region is filled with amazing young multimedia artists and we are delighted to be hosting the Biosphere, Reconciliation and Sustainability Art Exhibition as part of our conference. Participants have an array of fabulous items to sell to the general public. Artistic contributions include nature photography, print and mixed media art, paintings, textile and wearable art as well as sculptures.
Friday May 3 NYAG will host an art exhibition launch party in the Foyer of the J. An event for the young people in our region it will be a gathering of informal artist talks and music. Register today and join us for this FREE event.
Meet The Artists
Evie Stenhauer
My work, motion with and motion through, explores the connection between our emotions and feelings with the environment. I chose to depict an image of a girl intertwining herself with the natural environment, reflective of our continuing connection to the earth. Our recognition of connection to the earth is so important to understand how and who we are, and how our surrounding environment influences and helps shape us. I’m so inspired by our natural environment here in Noosa, and I feel so lucky that I’m able to live, learn and create here. We have such a beautiful surrounding space and to be able to explore that through artmaking is really special and something I’m so grateful to be able to do.
Jade Leaman
Latji Latji (Mildura Victoria)
My Fashion collection is made up of 3 textile pieces, originally inspired by Australian wildlife flowers, that I saw during one of my previous fashion photoshoots. Drawing inspiration from my personal fashion aesthetic and intertwining it with flora elements, which assist in creating a beautiful and cohesive collection of garments. I hope for this to be my first collection of many, with my dreams being to work in the fashion industry joining the sustainable fashion movement. I want to be a part of the continuous journey in building a stronger relationship with fashion and our earth. With the intention of this mini collection to be my “debut” into this generation of aspiring fashion designers.
Spencer Hitchen
Spencer Hitchin is an incredible Nature Photographer at age 13. Where many kids are consumed by video games and social media, Spencer stands out as a young guardian of nature. Armed with a camera and unwavering passion, he utilises his photography and keen observations to convey the vital importance of protecting habitats and nature's wonders. Through this lens, he crafts a compelling narrative, enlightening others on the critical significance of preserving ecosystems for threatened species and the generations yet to come.
Spencer is not content with mere signatures and photographs, he takes the stage, captivating audiences with talks about the urgency of conservation. He has created the Save Sunrise Glossies 2023 and 2024 calendars, blending art and advocacy to showcase the breathtaking beauty of biodiversity. His photography will be on display as well as the opportunity to support his work through the purchase of his local ecosystem themed merchandise.
Ashley Sinclair
An aspiring writer, traveller, and environmentalist,Ashley is very passionate about protecting the natural environment and reorienting how we communicate about these large issues at hand. Creating youth voices in sustainability conversations is crucial, and through her work and the work of the community, she believes we can create hope, inspiration, and impactful change. Ashleys coffee-table style book, Earth & Us, which explores the environmental concerns and sustainability movements on the Sunshine Coast will be available for sale in the Foyer of the J for the whole month of May. As a Plastic Free Noosa Ambassador and Noosa Youth Advocacy Group member, Ashley is proud to be involved in the Custodians of Place events as we share, celebrate, and create change in our community.
Lucie Goodswen
Through an exploration of environmental sustainability with the 2024 Noosa Youth Climate conference, this collection is intend to display the raw beauty of our environment that is often overlooked. Inspired by native plants and the natural rhythms of water I utilised various techniques with sustainable fabrics and recycled plastics to convey this message within my art. In the process of creating this, I have deepened my understanding of fashion sustainability and expanded my skills within textile design. The relationship between the textile production and our environmental impact has been a continuous negative cycle . This is why in the future I hope to further develop my knowledge and advocate for these environmental issues through fashion design in the best way I can.
Isabelle Hayes
Flora, 2024
Acrylic
I have loved art since forever and have been drawing for at least 6 years now. I recently got into painting, and I am obsessed with drawing and painting flowers which is where the idea of this painting came from. The smoke enveloping the rose represents the pollution, soil degradation and deforestation that damages the vegetation we all desperately need to survive. The vibrant colour from the middle of the rose slowly fading out shows the damage it has taken from the smoke. The painting is completed in a monochromatic colour scheme. We need to preserve all delicate flora for future generations.
Jewel Cohrane
Disappearing Dolphins, 2024
Watercolour, acrylic and pens
I decided to paint a dolphin struggling to glide through vastly polluted water, where in fact they should be able to move effortlessly and freely without any restraints from manmade waste. As a community we must work together and educate others about the hazards of littering. Throwing rubbish into our waterways and oceans isn't good for the natural environment and the animals that exist in those ecosystems. To make the colours on the canvas I used watercolour and acrylic paints. I hope my artwork helps raise awareness to the community, next time you go to the beach please take any rubbish you see to the closest bin.
Leonie Sawford
World’s Eye Reflecting Need of Help, 2024
Watercolour and pen
The destruction of the environment has made a heavy impact on our wildlife, both on land and in the sea. Through my artwork I want to convey the message of our natural world needing help. There needs to be a stop to pollution and the destruction of our beautiful rainforests and big blue seas. I was inspired by witnessing the beauty of nature, which is what needs to be preserved and futureproofed. My hope is to bring more awareness to people about the gravity of the situation and the imprints our actions can have on the natural environment and its wildlife. We only have one earth, there is no planet B, so take care of what we are so lucky to have.
Ally Stewart
Mother Nature, 2024
Watercolour, oil pastel and posca pen
The focal point of my artwork is our Earth (Mother Nature) and the blue and green hair represents the earth’s land and oceans. The different skin tones represent the various races, religions, and how unique and different everybody is from each other, and how unique and diverse nature is. All the scars and scratches symbolise how nobody is perfect and how humans have impacted the earth, the natural ecosystems and animal hierarchy. The chains and tears embody the affects that humans have on earth. The black streaks in the hair, tears and dark blotches on her face symbolise matters such as; oil spills, climate change and deforestation. In conclusion, the artwork signifies how beautiful and varied our earth is, but it also represents how the human race takes this privilege for granted…
Finn West
At the Farm, 2023
Acrylic on canvas
I created this artwork at the Mimburi campus of Noosa District State High School. I was inspired by the endless natural landscapes and diverse wildlife that are present at the farm. The property has many native species of wildlife, but it is also an operational cattle farm. The farm works with local protection groups to determine how farming can still be productive, but still improve the land for various wildlife and their habitat. On this day at Mimburi, I decided to paint a nearby cow. I was able to sit quite close to the cow and study the animal through the fence. As a provider of milk and nourishment, the cow represents care, love and protection. It was very windy that day, my paint palette was on a piece of butcher's paper that kept trying to fly away and ants kept crawling into the paint. The cow’s gaze is the focal point in my work.
Felicity Smith
Growth and Decay, 2024
Watercolour, pencil and pen
In the heart of a desolate landscape, a testament to the ravages of pollution, a glimmer of hope emerges. Amidst the charred remnants of nature, the air heavy with the acrid scent of decay, a single ray of sunshine pierces the gloom. It illuminates the scene, casting long shadows that dance on the ruined terrain. The light, though feeble, is relentless, a beacon of resilience in the face of despair. It’s a poignant reminder that even in the bleakest of environments, there’s always a spark of life, a promise of renewal, waiting to break through. This is my inspiration, a narrative of destruction and redemption, a story of our world’s potential for transformation.
Alex Shearman
The Tree of Life, 2023
Acrylic on canvas
During an excursion to our Mimburi school campus, which is almost 300 acres of rolling hills, I had set out to capture an interesting aspect of the immersive natural environment that surrounded us. This area holds significant history for the indigenous people of the land, visible through the Bora Ring and Scarred Trees on site. I sat peacefully, soaking up the vast landscape around me and I noticed a lone, strikingly large, tree. The tree looked quite old. I found the gnarled and weathered tree enchanting. As my artwork developed into a sketch, the wind blew fiercely and pieces of bark dropped of the trunk. I then thought about the different colours of paint and the different layers of bark, choosing to instead paint the different areas of the tree with the corresponding colour for the layers of bark on it.
Ella Taylor
Marine Impurity Wearable art
2024
From a young age I have been eager to create art and immerse myself in nature. I have a passion for designing and producing various projects and our wearable art unit has allowed me to do just that. Marine Impurity was inspired by the unseen impact our rubbish has on life under water. It is hard for me to imagine how we have destroyed our planet to the point where wildlife has simply had no choice but to adapt. I believe that people must have knowledge to act; education and awareness is the one of the underlying solutions to this global crisis.
Mahalia Karooz
Can’t Keep Up
2024
Art has been a part of my life ever since I can remember. Having grown up living on acreage, the flora and fauna around me became my inspiration to many of my creations. I have recently created a piece representing fast fashion and the impact it has on the environment. Can’t Keep Up replicates the tonnes of clothing items being thrown out as a result of fast fashion trends. The skirt is a representation of the piles of discarded clothes accumulating in landfill, with the sash portraying the way fast fashion is consuming the environment and us as a society. Through this piece, I hope to shed some light on the issues that fast fashion creates and to encourage others to consider changing their habits and views on the consumption of clothes and trends.
Natalie Van Der Walt
10%
Wearable art
2024
I was inspired to create this piece after I recently learned about the huge amount of waste produced as a byproduct of the fast fashion industry. Inspired by Vivienne Westwood's punk approach to fashion, I decided to simulate the mismatched, patchwork elements of the textile landfills, introduced 3D elements like factories, dolls and a smog trail, all in the hopes of creating a chaotic, yet cohesive piece that represents the devastation that fast fashion wreaks on our environment and on the impoverished. Did you know that the number of times a garment is worn has declined by around 36% in the last 15 years? Or that it takes 20,000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of cotton? Or, even that over ONE MILLION children are sold as slaves every year, with many of them becoming child labourers? I didn't.
Before completing this project, I had always felt a responsibility to be a sustainable consumer. After all, I've always loved the lush greenery and chaos that Australia's native flora and fauna provide, and I've always tried to lessen my carbon footprint to prevent it's extinction. I thought that the half-hearted job I was doing in regards to my overall carbon footprint was adequate. At least, until I decided, on one random Summer's night, to go down the fast fashion rabbit hole. Consequently, when the opportunity to create a wearable art piece on a topic relating to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals came up, I immediately knew what to do. Et voilà, '10%' was born.
Caitlin Gillatt
Waste not, Wear now
Wearable art
202
I am a year 10 student, with a love for anything and everything creative. Since I was young, I have always found a desire and passion for creativity and art, always finding a way to create new ideas for drawings or creative pieces. This semester fashion and wearable art have been introduced through critical thinking and the making of art. The semester-based activity has been introduced to design a wearable art piece of the future that spreads the awareness of sustainable goals. I chose to create my artwork based on the topic of climate change, specifically, pollution and our contribution to the waste that ends up in the environment. Pollution is a major occurrence in our lives today with rubbish in almost any eyesight. Sustainably being able to produce items of clothing out of things you would consider to be “found in a bin” contributing to being one step closer to decreasing the state of our dying earth.
Sunshine Coast Grammar School - Sustainability Installation