The captivating artistry of Tina Kraus (previously featured) brings to life the urgent plight of marine life through her astonishing paper sculptures. Her creations, intricately detailed and painstakingly crafted, illuminate the stark reality of ocean pollution and the threats it poses to aquatic creatures. Each sculpture acts as a poignant reminder of the plastic waste that inundates oceans, choking the life out of ecosystems that serve as the cradles of marine biodiversity. Kraus’s art transcends conventional displays, compelling observers to confront the dire consequences of our disposable culture on ocean life. By using materials mirroring pollutants found in the sea, her work symbolically and literally constructs a narrative of survival amidst adversity, awakening a collective consciousness to the impact of human actions on nature.
Tina’s innovative approach not only showcases her artistic prowess but also serves as a crucial advocacy tool in the fight against environmental degradation. Her sculptures, often featuring creatures entangled in or surrounded by paper representations of waste, spark dialogue on the necessity of drastically reducing plastic usage and increasing conservation efforts. The visceral nature of her work encourages deeper reflection on humanity’s responsibility towards the health of marine ecosystems. In the interplay of art and environmentalism, Kraus catalyzes a movement of awareness, prompting communities to envision and work towards a cleaner, healthier ocean. Through the elegance of her design and the urgency of her message, Kraus reminds us of art’s ability to inspire change and drive essential conversations about our planet’s future.
Over the past year, I worked on a series of marine animal sculptures made from crepe paper and elements of trash. This is a project very close to my heart. I created these sculptures to call attention to the fact that our oceans and the wildlife dependent on them are under threat in so many ways right now. The seas offer a habitat for countless living things. Researchers suspect that up to 10 million species live in the oceans. Many of them are still unexplored. But the oceans are exposed to massive problems such as Plastic and other Pollution, Overfishing, Acidification, Extraction of natural resources and the Climate Crisis, which endanger the fragile balance of the sensitive ecosystems. The sculptures are handmade with wire and hand-dyed crepe paper and incorporate elements of trash. To illustrate the information on the plastic problem, I’ve also created some papercut illustrations.
Tina Kraus
More info: Website, Instagram, YouTube (h/t: Bored Panda).
A hermit crab living in an old tin can
A cuttlefish tangled in a fishnet
A little stint covered in oil
A seahorse clinging to a plastic straw
