D’Souza’s 2019 series How to Unromanticise the Anthropocene, which comprises four paintings and two texts, continues to bear relevance today. Through it, she aims to bring our attention to a bruised nature and the world’s plastic crises. Recently, Art History Plus released a video (YouTube) that dives into the first painting of the series, breaking down the theme of marine pollution as well as its aesthetic elements.

The word ‘anthropocene’ is used to mark human impact on the environment. It’s a term that has found its way into the lexicon of many artists today. The 25-year-old notes, “When the topic of climate change is put into art form, it is presented beautifully and gets romanticised.” While the message of the art is highlighted, real change and “unromanticising” will take place when words turn into action — changes in personal consumption habits and in policies.

Poll

Who will win the Punjab Elections?

BJP 32.84%

AAP 41.79%

INC 25.37%

Submit

View All In Poll

The series, which she began work on in 2018, progresses from talking about plastic found in rock (called plastiglomerate) to the material found in the interiors of a whale. And finally, the fourth painting shifts to the coastline of Haji Ali, the artist’s home and a site for the city’s coastal road project that will continue to negatively impact marine life. Using the aesthetic of Persian miniature paintings, the artworks are done in gouache, polythene, copper leaf and even wall putty on Wasli paper that is smooth handmade paper typically used in painting miniatures. How to Unromanticise the Anthropocene is part of a larger body of work, Whales of Baroda, 2019.

The Mumbai-based artist has been selected for Delfina Foundation’s Art Residency 2021. D’Souza is currently working on an art history paper that showcases animal portraits in Mughal albums, which she plans to further explore during her residency. 

Log on to: @pinkdsouza on Instagram; www.plasticfreejuly.org