Olivia Arau-McSweeney
I make work that contemplates the emergence of the Anthropocene, responding to the personal and communal grief that comes with facing a world shaped by climate change and capitalism.
The Ecological Self is an ongoing body of work inspired by the writings of Rachel Carson, Arne Næss, Robin Wall Kimmerer and any others, it examines my relationship with the ecosystems and environments I am a part of as the impacts of climate change and other ecological issues become more drastic and more urgent. The Ecological Self allows me to see myself in mundane everyday moments as a part of the ecosystem I live in, instead of an outside observer or controller of it. And seeing myself in this way makes protecting the environment an act of self-love and self-defense.
