Environmental artist Clare Celeste proudly pursues art as an avenue to bring attention to the eight different ecosystems on Earth. Using hand-cut images of various foliage and animals, the artist cultivates an immersive experience. Her work provokes viewers to relish in the beauty of our ecosystems whilst motivating viewers to treat the natural world with kindness.
The convergence of growing up in Brazil and the environment of her current home in Berlin, is presented in The Garden. This installation is intended to inspire the preservation of our planet, as a sixth mass extinction is not far off in the future. Celeste’s goal is to establish a place where viewers can reinvigorate their relationship with Earth. Bright hues of greens, pinks, and yellows dance across the composition of butterflies, birds, and palm leaves. Imagine standing amongst one of Celeste’s beautiful compositions. It is almost as if you can hear the gentle flapping of the wings of each insect flutter by, or the soft rustling of leaves as animals move from one spot to another. Celeste’s incredible talent uses hand-cut images to breathe life into art that focuses on environmental activism.
The collage artist brings attention to the ways that humans have an impact on the environment, in a hopeful manner. Celeste not only draws from unique ecosystems around the world, but recently shared an insightful message regarding her passion:
“Growing up in Brazil, I was inspired by the ocean, rivers, and jungles. My earliest and most formative memories are of lush, humming tropical ecosystems —and the encroaching industrial landscapes of Brazil’s cities. These impressions deeply influence my artwork. Biodiversity is my endless muse, but 70% of biodiversity has been destroyed since 1970. We’ve forgotten that we breathe the breath of trees, that we’re part of a larger carbon cycle, that we are embedded within ecosystems. We have this illusion of separateness that is driving our ecological crisis. I believe in the power and art and storytelling to reawaken a connection to our planet. By immersing audiences in the splendor of nature’s intricate beauty, I hope to inspire a deeper reverence for the Earth and a commitment to its preservation.✨”
Her enthusiasm and passion to use art as a visual storytelling device that also comments on our envirornment is apparent in her careful curation of each micro environment she constructs. Celeste is also deeply inspired by an essay titled “Loving a Vanishing World,” by Emily N. Johnston. This excerpt stresses a sense of urgency to appreciate what is at our fingertips and how humans can cherish this.
“When we think about accelerating extinction, it’s like looking at the terrifying narrows of an hourglass, where only a few will slide through. So sometimes I imagine myself instead on the far side of something more like an ecological birth canal. How many of Earth’s beauties can we help to survive the passage into the next era? Is each one not a gift we can safeguard to the world by our actions?”
— Emily N. Johnston, “Loving a Vanishing World” in All We Can Save
Beyond providing immersive works inspired by nature and literature, Celeste created The Garden to touch on environmentalism. Weekly online events hosted by various females in the climate and culture industries help to “co-create a more just, equitable, and regenerative world.” Her colorful and informative compositions continue to reflect the marvels of the various textures of each ecoscape.
Berlin-based artist Clare Celeste uses immersive art installations as a form of environmental activism.
Hand-cut flowers and animals emphasize the diversity of each ecosystem.
Did you know there are eight different ecosystems on this planet? The artist shares her passion for each one.
She adds texture in bright, vibrant colors to her compositions to emphasize the beauty of nature.
The large scale of Celeste’s works also allows viewers to be enveloped in the environment she has constructed.
The artist’s Healing Garden is intended to be a form of activism, making a positive impact on the world.
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The honesty and vulnerability of the artist really shines through in each composition.
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Celeste’s artwork will send you into the most beautiful floral frenzy.
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Clare Celeste: Website | Instagram | Facebook
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Clare Celeste Börsch.
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