Empire, not Shalom
The artwork Empire vs. Shalom addresses social injustice and the wealth gap that result in a fast growing homeless population. The mosaic presents a cityscape made of recycled credit cards inhabited by gouache painted homeless. The homeless people are painted in grey scale creating visual glitches on the colorful and futuristic background. This work is inspired by the book of Deuteronomy, where God teaches his people self-sacrifice. In a community, taking care of vulnerable people should be everyones responsibility but in our society its way easier to hide behind shiny fortresses and push the desperate to the margin, treating them as if they were nothing more than a glitch in our vision.
Contact the artist: as.meraki.art@gmail.com
Or see the artist’s website: Www.asmerakiartstudio.com
Width: 36in
Depth: 1in
Amber Smith
Passionate about the environment and those that live in it; Amber J Smith has created the Endangered Collection, which uses recycled materials to explore the condition of being on the verge of extinction from different perspectives. In our contemporary society danger can come from multiple sources and people can be at the same time victims and perpetrators. My art practice reflects on the ecological impact of plastic use, underscoring how our planet, and those living on it, are facing a great danger. I then move my attention to social injustice, addressing the wealth gap and highlighting how some people, in this case homeless people, are marginalized, forgotten and discarded. Lastly, I dive deep into the personal sphere showing the impact of contemporary life on one’s mental health. All these different stages of exploration aim to raise awareness to the threats that our contemporary lifestyle poses to our environment, our social fabric, and our personal wellbeing; even to the point that humankind is becoming an endangered species. The endangered collection wants to inspire the audience to take action against those threats, acting as a community to preserve vulnerable people and protect the environment.
Email: as.meraki.art@gmail.com
Website: Www.asmerakiartstudio.com
Instagram: As.meraki.art
