‘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 13). 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.

Painting marine life.

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.

Rengi Cherian, CEO of Art4you, affirmed that “we will keep up our mission as visual ambassadors for ocean protection.” Claudia Pinto (Sustainability Advocate and Founder of Empowering Women Middle East), Bouchra Izaabel (Health Advocate), Dr. Heike Lieb-Wilson (Sustainability Advocate, Business Strategist and Charter President of Rotary Eco Club Dubai), and Ahmed Al Heifeiti (Founder, Wadi Dafta Plantation, Fujairah) were among the distinguished guests who graced the occasion. Visitors interacted with artists, learning about the stories behind each artwork, while educational booths disseminated information about the ocean and provided advice on how to live sustainably.

Roya Vahidi depicted dolphins dancing across vibrant coral reefs in a serene aquatic landscape. Despite its calm exterior, her picture contained a subliminal call to action to address the growing problem of plastic waste endangering sea life. In a similar vein, Thomas Antony offered a compelling story of redemption in which the next generation takes on the challenge of cleaning contaminated seas, ingeniously recycling trash. Sustainability and group accountability for a cleaner future were at the heart of his message.

Boats and their helmsmen.

Jaimee Felysee’s artwork ‘Silent Beauty’ used jellyfish as a metaphor for the elegance and underappreciated function of aquatic life. Her artwork was a poetic ode to marine life, aiming to provoke thought and action. Natallia Venerova, who actively participates in Plastic Free July by using her paintings to promote SDG 14 and ocean conservation, highlighted the power of beauty to inspire change. With the title ‘Voice for the Voiceless’, Nithin Umesh’s artwork highlighted marine life that is unable to communicate for itself, such as coral, plankton, whales, and sea turtles. His work emphasised the significance of standing up for them and acting quickly to prevent man-made damage to their ecosystems.

A thoughtful picture by Fatimeh Habibollah invited spectators to appreciate the sea’s serene beauty, pointing out the precarious balance it upholds. A fish imprisoned in a plastic bag was depicted in Jeevan Oroolu Veettil’s ‘In Life, But Not Living ... Free Plastic’. As a devastating warning that every discarded item has baneful side effects, the image symbolised suffocation brought by human neglect. Parisa Keramati, meanwhile, combined science and art after studying the use of microbes to extract mercury from water. Her research exposed heavy metals’ lethal yet undetectable effects on marine ecosystems. In the illustration by Reem Al Subiae, Earth was held by a mermaid deep underwater. It signified appreciation for our world. She used a mystical method to convey how inner beauty and art can unite us with Nature.

Jesno Jackson painted colourful marine creatures to highlight the threat of plastic pollution, supporting SDG 14 and the Plastic Free July campaign. Avigyan Bhattacharya painted coral reefs with natural hues and a palette knife. His complex paintings hailed the tenacity of his subject and called for group efforts to protect them. Dahana Salem emphasised water’s essential function as Earth’s lifeline and a source of genuine beauty in her vision of an unspoiled oceanic paradise. The delicate balance between myth and reality beneath the waters was symbolised by Mana Razeghi’s presentation of a mermaid with a shark and jellyfish.

She advocated for respect for marine life and sustainability. By depicting dolphins flowing freely through the ocean, Naseem Abdo Othman celebrated harmony and joy, while serving as a reminder of the value of ocean protection. Self-portraits and colourful marine life were combined in Noreen Nawab’s artwork, representing the close bond between people and the ocean. Her assay was a self-evident plea to preserve marine environments, which are an extension of ourselves. Artist Kumar Chadayamangalam summed up the experience. “It felt like I was painting for the ocean itself,” he said, encapsulating the strong emotional bond that exists between the sea and artists. As the artists painted the waves and let water speak, they made their social roles clear.