Topic: The Dance Between Harmony and Disruption

Media: Mixed media

Concept: After the exhibition yesterday, we were drawn to the unity between man and nature so to demonstrate the effects of this relationship, we wanted to showcase nature by going out and finding plants around us but also the structures that man has erected to destroy these plants. Whereas the plants provide food and improve our climate, we have returned this favour by cutting them down.

This art piece aims to visually articulate the dynamic relationship between ecological harmony and disruption, inviting viewers to contemplate the intricate dance between the natural world and the impact of human activities on the environment. One side of the artwork, depicts a harmonious natural scene, symbolizing the untouched beauty of a balanced ecosystem. On the other side, there is an outlined cityscape, using contrasting colours, greys and muted tones to convey the urban environment and the complexity and impact of human intervention.

The variety of plants used symbolizes the richness of biodiversity and the interconnected web of life within a balanced ecosystem. The arrangement of these plants reflects the harmony and equilibrium in an untouched natural landscape.

The cityscape represents human intervention and the impact of urbanization on the environment. The outlined structures symbolize the structural footprint of human development and the transformation of natural landscapes into urban spaces.

Name: Kwezi Nuwagaba and Dominique Magero

School: Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa

Year: Year 11 IBDP 1

Topic- Trademarks of Exploitation

Media- Photography

"Trade Marks of Exploitation" is a photo exhibition consisting of three images that unveil the concealed environmental consequences and waste generated by various industries. After learning about the exhibition, I thought of this concept inspiring me to delve deeper into the critical issue of how different companies contribute to fossil fuel emissions. It is hoped that it can challenge anyone to reevaluate their consumption patterns and reckon with the genuine costs associated with the products they use. Photography was my medium of choice because I firmly believe it is one of the most impactful forms of artistic expression, capable of effectively conveying complex and urgent issues. In each photograph, you'll find the subjects enshrouded by various objects, symbolizing the environments we inhabit, saturated with escalating waste levels. This imagery is intended to serve as a poignant reflection of how society has normalized waste, often oblivious to its far-reaching impacts on other life forms and the fragile balance of our ecosystem.

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Name- Mahmud Hassan, Year 11 at Aga Khan Academy Nairobi

Topic - Methods of Mitigation

How would you heal a dying planet?�Through trees and grass and green,�to breathe hope into the earth�and bring it thus to life;�roots that stretch through stone and soil,�leaves and blooms facing skyward?

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How would you heal a dying planet?�Through clouds and rain and sky,�to work the weather to your wants�and bring water thus to earth;�a deluge of healing rain and sleet,�mist and fog in abundance?

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How would you heal a dying planet?

Through snow and ice and hail,

to keep the heat at bay

and bring cool thus to sea;

glaciers reflecting sun on high slopes,

frozen water facing upward?

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Would you know

that we are the cause and cure

and work thus to mend?

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Media: poetry

This poem acknowledges the various forms in which we can mitigate the effects of climate change - the first stanza references tree-planting and sustainable farming; the 2nd talks about weather modification, and the 3rd about directly lowering temperatures, which are all valid methods of reducing or reversing climate change’s effects. I chose poetry because it allows me to work with words, which I often find more freeing than colours or sketching, and frees me to directly send a message.�Mbugua Mwihia, AKAN