Askew thought long & hard about a name for his Sea Walls mural in Napier & one word constantly rang true during the week, it was Kaitiaki – it’s the Māori word for guardianship of air, land & sea.
With his mural, he was attempting to address several interrelated issues. Everything is connected because we live on a planet that is actually a closed system. To allow things to recycle within that system we have to be conscious of consuming more harmoniously with the system as opposed to being so disruptive. We can talk about how we are driving climate change, how it is warming the planet and subsequently causing ocean acidification which is destroying the reefs and their complex ecosystems – what’s harder is to then unpack the myriad of related consequences. Those range from the harm to all the planets creatures, the environment, economics, social and political. If you strip away all the talk, the political posturing and all the corporate spin, every issue we face as a species relates back to our relationship with this planet. Something that may sound as random or inconsequential to your life as a dead reef in small island nation will have an impact on everyone at some point. This mural is inspired by those thoughts and dedicated to all our neighbouring Pacific island nations, most likely the least contributors to the problem yet on the very frontline of the consequences of climate change. This is not a problem that governments or corporations will ever fix as it is in conflict with their core interests. The responsibility is with all of us to protect and conserve, to care for this earth that sustains us.
Take a look at a few extra shots below and then make sure to visit our store to get yourself a unique hand-painted limited edition print by Askew
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