We are happy to share the news that three paintings from our featured artist Michael Kwong have been accepted by the United Nations Environment Programme and will be displayed at its Nairobi headquarters.
Prof. Michael Kwong was born in Hong Kong in 1972, studied at Columbus College of Art & Design, and worked as an illustrator in the United States after graduation. In 2002, he finally moved back to Hong Kong to continue his artistic career. Prof. Kwong has taught in different universities including Shantou University, Xiamen University, and Savannah College of Art and Design. At the same time, he has been working as a pop art and abstract expressionist painter, creating art pieces that combine eastern culture characteristics and western painting techniques.
Inspired by his participation in the Occhi/Phoenix FTA publication ‘Together For Our Planet’, Michael Kwong has donated three of his works, to the United Nations Environment Programme as a gift for their 50th anniversary. The paintings include ‘Cursed Sky’, his entry for the ‘Together For Our Planet’ project.
Speaking about his practice and the theme of his work, Kwong confides, ‘I believe it is the undeniable responsibility for all countries in the world to protect our natural environment and make the world a beautiful and safe place, by preventing the environment to be further damaged. It is a critical issue faced and concern by the international world.
I have created three paintings in this series on different aspects of the pollution problems including “Ocean-Mo”, “Cursed Sky” and “The Last Inch Of Pure Land”. Ocean-Mo is about the damage of sea pollution, “Cursed Sky” tells the problem of air pollution, and “The last inch of pure land” symbolised the serious problem of over-expansion of urbanization. I would like to use the vision of an abstract expressionist artist to arouse the attention of people about the deadly consequences of environmental pollution.
Ever since the industrial revolution, humans had breakthroughs in manufacturing, and there came the bloom of the economy, culture, and science. The living standards of humans were lifted to a significant level. However, on the other side of the coin, the industrial revolutions and all their incidental developments, including the overexploitation of natural resources such as cruel oil, also brought about tremendous pollution by plastics and industrial wastes on our oceans and air. Various pandemic problems also came along, including the COVID-19 that we are facing at the moment. This is because we human beings deliberately or recklessly break the law of nature. The balance between human beings and nature has long been lost. Can we say this mode of living is an improvement or a regression of human beings? Do we become happier or are we actually walking towards the door of extinction? My works “Ocean-Mo”, “Cursed Sky” and “The Last Inch of Pure Land” are trying to express the groan of humans on these’.
Since its inception in 1972, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been the global authority that sets the environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, UNEP works through its divisions as well as a regional, liaison, and out-posted offices and a growing network of collaborating centers of excellence. UNEP works closely with its 193 Member States and representatives from civil society, businesses, and other major groups and stakeholders to address environmental challenges through the UN Environment Assembly, the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment. We congratulate Michael and look forward to sharing further news on his career and projects.
For further information on United Nations Environment Program visit https://www.unep.org/about-un-environment
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