Samina Hussain

“THE GREENER THE CLEANER”

Samina Hussain was concerned with the dangerous air quality in Tower Hamlets and created an exhibition with air plants and a terrarium to highlight the need for plants in the home to help clean indoor air quality.

My project is about cleaning air with plants with a message about the air quality in Tower Hamlets, London.

I am deeply interested in flower arrangement and wanted to use this passion for my project so I created a terrarium with miniature trees and plants. As we all know trees and plants clear the pollution giving fresh oxygen and provide shade and a cooling feeling. Making a terrarium is creating the same feeling inside the home, whilst adding with air plants for as much plant life in the home as possible. For me it’s about making something beautiful, reflecting how we can revel in the beauty of nature, giving good vibes and makes you happy. Joy and reimagination.

Alea Khanom

“THERE WILL BE ABUNDANT SUPPLIES AT THE COST OF FACTORY WORKERS AROUND THE WORLD”

Alea Khanom used her knowledge of sewing to create a themed dress about the Rana Plaza, documenting the disaster and climate effects of clothing production, and drawing the links of the impact of the textile industry on Bangladesh and thus the social, gender, and climate justice intersections.

 

My project name is Burning of Rana Plaza garment factory

For me it’s about bringing awareness to the tragic event of the incident in Bangladesh where a factory caught on fire due to the excess in fast fashion causing the loss of countless lives. It highlights the importance of understanding how and where your clothes come from and understanding that due to high demands there will be abundant supplies at the cost of factory workers around the world, on people and planet. Getting that message out to people is important for me, people need to know about the injustice of fast fashion.

Rabia Begum

“GROWING FOR ME IS A WAY OF LIFE, AND IT SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL, GROWING AND SHARING CROPS WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS IS SOMETHING I LOVE DOING.”

Rabia worked on creating food crops from seed and then representing the complexities of doing this from her home in Tower Hamlets with a textile piece where photos of the plants, layered over with other plant prints, give a sense of the lack of access to green space but also the need to grow nutritious food.

My project is about gardening and growing your own vegetables at home where you can, while using the resources you have around you, creating green space where I can. Access to green space is limited but the desire to grow food is not. 

Gardening is important in combating climate change, including reusing materials where you can such as using disposable plastic cups as plant pots and using food waste like fruits, vegetables and eggshells to make your own compost which is something I do everyday. Not only can gardening help you to reduce waste, the more people garden, the more plants there are to absorb carbon dioxide in the air!

Green spaces are important for improving air quality, and can also help with improving your mental and physical health. It also allows you to grow healthy and nutritious foods, and enjoy good quality food instead of mass produced and chemically enhanced food!

My project was about drawing attention to the lack of access to green space and therefore the lack of access to good quality natural non chemical foods.

Aleya Taher

“BEFORE EVERYTHING USED TO GROW, THERE’S NO MORE NOURISHMENT IN THE LAND.”

Aleya Taher created a video and poem that illustrates what it means to her to see the change from a fruitful home country destroyed by carbon emissions created elsewhere in the world, mainly by the west, underlining that organisations and governments need to do more.

‘The crying and dying land’

My project is about the changing weather in Bangladesh where I am talking about the land dying, as it is getting harder and harder to grow crops.

Global warming is not caused in huge part by Bangladesh however it is affecting us severely. This makes extreme weather and then there are pesticides and fertilisers that further kill the land. It’s sad to see my home land be destroyed like this. Before, everything used to grow such as exotic fruits, now there is no more nourishment in the soil so it is harder to grow things, fruits don’t grow like before anymore.

Echoes of a Changing Earth (Credit: Aleya Taher)

The whisper of the wind, a silent cry,

Beneath the fading azure sky,

Forests murmur, oceans sigh,

As nature’s tears begin to dry.

Mountains crumble, rivers weep,

Secrets in the deep do keep,

Glaciers melting in their sleep,

A world awakening from its dream.

Once lush fields now turn to dust,

Iron chains of greed and lust,

In broken promises we trust,

While life decays, and hearts combust.

Yet in the shadows, hope’s still bright,

Seeds of green in darkest night,

Together we can turn this blight,

And heal the Earth, with love and light.

Bengali version: 

পরিবর্তনের প্রতিধ্বনি

বাতাসের ফিসফিস, এক নীরব কান্না,

মলিন নীল আকাশের তলে,

বনের গুঞ্জন, সমুদ্রের দীর্ঘশ্বাস,

প্রকৃতির চোখের জল শুকিয়ে যাচ্ছে।

পর্বত ভেঙে পড়ে, নদী কাঁদে,

গভীরে লুকানো রহস্যগুলি রাখে,

হিমবাহ নিদ্রায় গলে যাচ্ছে,

স্বপ্ন থেকে জাগ্রত এক পৃথিবী।

যেখানে একদা সবুজ মাঠ ছিল, এখন ধূলি,

লোভ আর লালসার লৌহ শৃঙ্খল,

ভঙ্গুর প্রতিশ্রুতিতে আমরা ভরসা করি,

জীবন ক্ষয় হয়, হৃদয় দহনে।

তবু ছায়ার মাঝে, আশার আলো জ্বলে,

অন্ধকার রাতে সবুজের বীজ,

একসাথে আমরা এই কালোকে পাল্টাতে পারি,

ভালোবাসা আর আলো দিয়ে পৃথিবীকে সারাতে পারি।

– [ ]

Firlly Diah Respatie

“LET’S ALL GET THE UNDERSTANDING AND MAKE THE CHANGES, LET’S SHARE ALL WHAT WE KNOW FOR POSITIVE MOVES FOR THE CLIMATE.”

Firlly Diah Respatie created a pamphlet to share local wisdom from Indonesia, illustrating what is done in Indonesia to address climate change and reduce emissions, with many tips on how to reduce our impact on climate change.

‘A gift from Indonesia’

“For me it’s about building awareness about climate change in terms of cognition (knowing), affect (acceptance) and behaviour. I want to share these gifts far and wide, in this light I have created printed products with the messaging on, so it can never be forgotten!”

Hosna Begum

“I HOPE PEOPLE WILL GET THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT COLONIALISM AND EXTRACTION DOES.”

Hosna Begum designed six canvases, in conversation with each other, presenting the viewer with a series of questions, giving an insight into the reality of colonialism on the climate. Throwing up questions of what is civilised, who decides what and whose knowledge is ‘better’, whilst also highlighting many traditional cultural practices that are naturally eco-friendly.

‘Colonial Comparisons’

For me it’s about showing that we have and always have had alternative natural resources that can be used in our daily life as opposed to using commercial chemical and plastic items.

It’s about being able to use resources that are renewable and saving the planet from wastage and furthermore it’s also better for our health, much less chemicals in the natural products.

Rumi

“PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THAT THESE FLOODS BACK HOME ARE COMPLETELY DESTRUCTIVE, THIS ISN’T THE FUTURE THIS IS NOW.”

‘Rumi produced a wall hanging from reclaimed materials, from cotton buds, to bottle tops and disposable plastics for the fishes through to plant leaves and bamboo stalks and environmentally friendly paints. The piece depicts the effects of climate change on life in Bangladesh, how floods are destroying homes, crops and lives. 

‘The Aftermath’

My project is about Bangladesh’s floods. I decided to depict the destruction and extinction of buildings, the displacement of people,,  livelihoods damaged and the overall suffering of the people.

Shabina Ali

“DIVERSE COMMUNITIES NEED TO BE AT THE TABLE, THERE’S NO POINT WITHOUT” 

Shabina Ali wrote a poem, which was also made into a video, with images to further illustrate the messages of the poem. Titled ‘Conundrum’ it implores us all to look at the forces behind the causes of climate change and the solutions, the changes that are needed for effective solutions.

‘Conundrum’

My project is a poem about the different factors contributing to climate change. 

Conundrum

(Credit: Shabina Ali)

Let’s raise our voices… and declare 

no more atrocities we shall bear

It’s time to prepare and clean up this air

So don’t despair and Let’s start with a prayer

Bismillah

Give up the Fast fashion

And stop those Industries cash in

So much damage and plunder

Making the skies cleft asunder

Green Tech stealing 

Villages screaming

To Our luxuries of gadgets 

Open your eyes

To what it’s concealing

Murky waters, see the slaughters

Trails of destruction and spillage

Whilst ruthless bullies rampage and pillage

Those in power give a grinning stare 

whilst showing to the world their fake care

Plundering the earth 

producing wear and tear

Families fleeing, hearts stop beating whilst big corps beaming, cheating, scheming 

stopping others from simply dreaming.

Indigenous communities thrown down the pipe

Whilst the media and leaders say 

what’s the hype

Making it look like it’s all a load of tripe

But hey, good news for those who dare

Speak out today for a future green and fair

Come, challenge those in power 

Don’t let them make us cower

For united we stand

By working hand in hand 

Let’s make a band and give Earth big hugs

By getting rid of those climate thugs

______________________________________________

Fathimah Rofe

“IT’S ABOUT NOT USING PLASTIC AND ASKING WHO’S PROFITING FROM MAKING PLASTIC.”

Fathimah Rofe produced a range of tableware, dinner setting products made from 100% natural materials, from banana leaves. She dried and moulded these into shape, illustrating how it is very much possible to not use plastic. Throwing up questions of who benefits from plastic, who is making money from it and knowing there are huge profits to be made in the production of plastic and that plastic is derived from oil, a fossil fuel.

‘The Banana Leaf Planet Friendly BioProducts for Our Future’

I’m showing how in Thailand we have many ways and practices that are in harmony with nature, working with the planet. It’s local knowledge of climate friendly ways of being.

We have multiple uses for banana leaves which avoids plastic waste altogether. I have made a selection of plates and bowls from banana leaves, these would be bonded with rice water. I also showcased them with a place mat of fresh banana leaf, which can also simply be used as a plate. These things are important because climate change is the single health threat facing our humanity. Its impacts are already harming health, through air pollution, disease, extreme weather events, forced displacement, pressures on mental health, and increased hunger and poor nutrition in places where people cannot grow or find sufficient food.

Rawda Ahmad Omar

“I FELT LIKE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE SO MANY MORE WAYS TO EXIST, SO MANY MORE WAYS TO INTERACT WITH THE PLANET, THAT AREN’T ABOUT DESTROYING IT, MORE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ERITREA.”

 

‘Baskets from Natural products’

I have handcrafted my baskets using my skills that I had learnt from 13 years old.  We had to learn and sell them to survive as there was a war going on in Eritrea. I learnt it originally from an elder who was selling the baskets/rugs on the road and later I would sit with her and learn and then I would sell it to her and she would later sell it on in the markets.

Ranu

“MANY OF THE PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS ARE KNOWN TO US NOW.”

Ranu produced a framed collage piece depicting the reasons for the increase of flooding in Bangladesh, looking to where and why it is happening. There is a creepy effect to the lettering of the words, giving an eerie feeling, speaking to the devastating future if no radical climate action is taken.

 

Ranu ‘ever-changing world’

My project is about how, although we often think about human induced climate change as something that will happen in the future, it is an ongoing process, it’s happening now . Ecosystems and communities all around the world are being impacted today. From 1982 the first really damaging flood I remember to now is of the scale; in the last 3 years alone the floods have gotten so much worse, where it came up to the front step previously, it now comes all the way up the wall.