S2eAE Teaching & Learning Resources

Title: When Waste Becomes Art

School: Kent Ridge Secondary School

Artist: Carmen Zhu Jiawen

Age: 15

Year: 2021

Medium: Markers on Bottles

Dimension: 20 cm by 12 cm

Artist Statement:

My work reflects environmental concerns and addresses our relationships with the natural world. This awareness is achieved by rendering art out of common everyday trash and revealing something truly beautiful from what we deem useless and functionally broken. It is essential that we tune in with nature and re-gain appreciation of our surroundings, understand and thus be able to take better control of our dealings with it.

It was indeed great to hear that one man’s trash truly is another man’s treasure, especially when it comes to using recycled materials to bring out the impact of waste and turned it into artistic sights to behold. - Mr Kenneth Pek

👁️‍🗨️ Elements of Art & Principles of Design

line, shape, form, value, colour, space, texture

contrast, balance, unity, emphasis, size and proportion/scale

💬 Let's Talk About Art

BEGINNING, MIDDLE, END

If this artwork were the BEGINNING

of a story, what might happen next?

If this artwork were the MIDDLE of a story,

what might have happened before?

What might be about to happen?

If this artwork is the END of a story,

what might the story be about?

Adapted from:

Harvard Project Zero’s Thinking Routines

💡 Artist Reference

Singapore based artist Tan Zi Xi (also known by her moniker MessyMsxi) experiments with a variety of mediums. Zi Xi got a degree in Graphic Design (Illustration Major) from Central Saint Martins in London, UK. After staying in the UK for about six months post her graduation, she moved back to Singapore to start her life as an independent artist. Apart from her commercial work for brands, Zi Xi has collaborated with graphic designers, fashion labels and museums for various projects including public art.

Sayaka Ganz was born in Japan but grew up in numerous cities all over the world. She was raised under the Japanese philosophy of Shinto where all objects and organisms are believed to have a spirit and a soul. Since an early age, when she was still in kindergarten, she was taught that 'objects that are discarded before their time, weep at night inside the trash bin'. As she explains, this belief became her inspiration and guidance throughout her art journey, satisfying her constant need to adjust in various environments by creating her own harmony. Ganz collects previously used and discarded objects and with her talent and enthusiasm she transfigures them into animal forms by simply combining plastic residues.

🎨 Suggested Activities

Trash Art or Assemblage

Using recyclable materials to create environmental art, for example recyclable marine animals:

Recycle Cup Comic (Paper Cup Anime Theater by Shinrashinge)

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