'Brushes for the Blue' live art by Art4you advocates for marine life

Art4you Gallery, led by curator Jesno Jackson, presented 'Brushes for the Blue', a live art exhibition at Mehromah Art House, Jumeirah, to bring to fore the perils life below water faces (July 3).

- Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

The exhibition was marked by vivid hues that aligned with the powerful theme upheld by the show. By uniting artists, environmentalists, students and tourists, the event turned art into activism and raised awareness of marine conservation, underlining the escalating catastrophe due to plastic pollution.

The eye catching focus of the event were wooden panel boats, specially designed to mimic conventional fishing boats. They functioned as symbolic and realistic canvases for creative expression. The panels, which were created by Jesno Jackson, captured the strong emotional and cultural bonds that exist between humans and water. The boat-shaped constructions were painted onto directly by artists, who used them as storytelling tools to illustrate the fragility and beauty of sea life. The artworks displayed brilliant corals, happy dolphins, elegant sea turtles, and thriving fish, all of which indicated underwater habitats.

However, the positive picture was accompanied by unnerving depictions of habitat destruction, with entangled marine life, floating plastic waste, and environmental impact on stage. The intentional contrast was with a view to prompt action and encourage introspection at the havoc being wrought on oceans and ocean life. Supported by the UN SDG Action Campaign and the Plastic Free July Foundation, the event was a part of the global Plastic Free July movement, tied into SDG 14: Life Below Water. Art4you Gallery strove to demonstrate the vital role art can play in generating awareness and creating behavioral change with the campaign.