Yu Yan Wee

Artist Statement

My artwork takes a critical view of current environmental issues. Through found object sculptures, photography and combines, I aim to create awareness about plastic pollution. Plastic pollution has been going on since the use of plastic in consumer products in the 1950s. Plastic is now polluting land, rivers, coasts, beaches, and oceans. Photos of animals and coral reefs stuck in plastic products can be seen so often that we feel numb to them. We understand the impact of plastic we use and the trash we create harms the environment, but we choose to overlook the problem due to our centrism. We prefer convenience over the protection of a habitat we share with other beings.

I began this series by thinking about my role as an artist in the world of capitalism. I have made trips to grocery stores and observed the use of plastic packaging in our daily consumer products. The amount of plastic being sold, used and discarded by consumers is shocking. According to the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), less than 14 percent of plastic packaging gets recycled in the United States. I decided to highlight my concerns and began to convert the material into art pieces. I collect single-use plastic food packaging through family and friends and also through dumpster diving.

Through recycling, reusing and fusing different types of plastic together into cohesive objects juxtaposed with the vibrant colors found in nature, I seek to illustrate the effects and consequences of plastic on the environment. From the pollution of nature’s water sources to the death of animals via the consumption of plastic littered in their natural habitat, my artwork aims to create awareness amongst viewers on the issue at hand. 

Yu Yan Wee