Water and Culture
8 October 2019
Zay Yar Lin, a sea captain from Myanmar, doesn’t only capture the everyday life of seafarers – their struggle with the seas and the excitement of reaching shore – but also fishermen, sailors and the busy world of harbours, as well. In his photos, he places the emphasis on lighting, composition, the interplay of colours and unusual perspectives. His shots are abstract, still they also communicate stories about everyday people.
Lin’s photos depict everyday moments that would be easy to forget, but the photographer’s unique perspective transforms even the most humdrum events into works of art. He has been engaged with photography since 2014, but he still retains his main job as a ship’s captain. His themes relate to his work: one of his most striking photos offers a bird’s eye view of a sailor in a yellow raincoat cleaning the red deck of a ship, while waves slap against the side of the ship. Lin has had a number of exhibitions and he has also won awards with his pictures.
“I was addicted to paintings since childhood. I didn’t even know that I would become a photographer one day. When I first noticed many beautiful and inspiring photos on social media like Facebook, I wished to shoot like those photos. But, I knew nothing about photography. One of my friends suggested me to learn photography online by googling. I visited and learned many tutorials on photography websites,” Lin told My Modern Met magazine about how a sea captain was transformed into an award-winning amateur photographer.
French designer and illustrator Mlle Hipolyte builds complex sculptures from vibrantly colourful paper. Her latest tree-dimensional work is inspired by coral reefs; the sculpture titled Coralium, which is almost one metre tall and 3 metres wide, was built using various techniques. The purpose of the work is to highlight the increasing fragility of the marine ecosystem caused by climate change.
British illustrator Mat Miller has produced a piece of art for the PangeaSeed Foundation to highlight the challenges that the oceans face today. His piece, entitled Equilibrium, was published in the foundation’s latest publication, with the aim of focusing attention on the vulnerability of the oceanic ecosystem and the rapid extinction of marine species.
The ocean is the greatest inspiration for New Zealand artist Ben Young: he has been making stunning glass sculptures that offer a new perspective on the beauty of massive bodies of water for 15 years. He grew up in the Bay of Plenty on the northern coast of New Zealand, and has been captivated by the clear blues of the ocean since his childhood.
Portuguese surfer Johny Vieira has been inspired by ocean waves and the eerie shapes of beached driftwood. Along with his surfing, he began to make sculptures using pieces of driftwood, and his pieces are closely connected to nature and the majestic ocean.
Australian photographer Matt Burgess spends hours in the salty sea to capture the diverse forms and textures of waves and to grasp the capricious moods of the ocean. He documents the hypnotic moments when waves reach their crests, or when they curl around as they hit the shallow seabed by the shore.
World champion freediver Guillaume Néry has produced a short film entitled One Breath Around the World, in which he presents the astonishing world hidden deep in the oceans on a single breath.
The unique stamp issued on the occasion of the Budapest Water Summit 2019, have been released by Mr János Áder, President of Hungary and Mr György Schamschula, CEO of Magyar Posta Zrt. (Hungarian Post) on Monday, October 7th, at the Sándor Palace in Budapest.
It is no accident that Christine Ren decided to call herself The Underwater Woman: she combines her passion for dancing with ocean conservation, so she poses her dance moves under the surface for breathtaking photos such as the pieces in the series Protect What’s Precious, which protests trawling.
British multimedia artist Rowan Mersh finds inspiration in nature. He uses thousands of shells to create his mesmerizing contemporary sculptures. His experimental approach inspires him to turn everyday objects into works of art, with particular attention to the harmony of shape, colour and geometry.
The ethereal paintings of Bree Brooks celebrate the calm, peaceful aspect, the unearthly beauty of the ocean. The canvas paintings show large bodies of water from a bird’s eye perspective, interrupted by the coastline or boats swaying in the ocean.
