Prototype Planet, 2020

The sci-fi inspired themes of my work often discuss political ecology, our inter-sectional (micro-macro) relationship to outer space to question our learned or accepted ideas of progress that have been destructive to our ecosystems and each other. In most pieces, I depict barren planets without humans, as without a thriving planet Earth, there would be no place to discuss important social issues but without discussing certain social issues, we ignore our echoing neglect towards our planet. It's intersectional. If we colonize space, we will take our destructive habits with us. The gentler path of living is to realize we are a part of a delicate balance that requires our active participation in retracting our aggressive and often invisible, speciesist influence over our environment. Rather than idealizing it, we can acknowledge the aspect of space exploration’s history that’s rooted in exploitation of people, animals and the planet.