Radiation Apocalypse
After watching the movie, Chernobyl, a powerful surge developed during an experimental safety test and the explosion expelled the reactor contents into the atmosphere. The movie made me realize how strongly I feel about the topic so I wanted to raise awareness and inspire others by making artwork that will showcase the catastrophe that awaits us if we do not change our behavior.
Spring 2019
After watching the movie, Chernobyl, a powerful surge developed during an experimental safety test and the explosion expelled the reactor contents into the atmosphere. The movie made me realize how strongly I feel about the topic so I wanted to raise awareness and inspire others by making artwork that will showcase the catastrophe that awaits us if we do not change our behavior. To demonstrate the disaster, I used some dark-toned muted colored yarns, plastic, and markers to create a 3D collage to show the effect of the disaster. The girl was colorless and her skin was burning underneath. The plastic, which is her hair, was getting rougher and elements around her were crumbling and decaying.
On this dress, I used a silver reflective fabric to make the puff sleeve on the left arm to recreate the effect. The design is asymmetrical, showing the multi-surfaced complication. The girl painted in acrylic is suffering in a toxic atmosphere. The colorful yarns wrapped around the fabric indicate technology with its vibrant pixels. From the train on the back, you can see the impact of radiation deteriorating our environment leaving us endless issues. Hence the long and dark-colored mesh with intricate particles attached to it. Lastly, the gold threads holding all the pieces together represent the scientists saving us from total destruction.
It is important to realize that we have to use all our power to preserve all the wonderful things that nature has given us. For my project, I made a gown out of recycled waste. It may not be an elegant gown and it may look absurd, but it is a gown that speaks to us. Its purpose is to make one feel alarmed but at the same time, the composition of the dress brings us a sense of beauty. Deep down inside, underneath our flaws, we are still a beautiful, smart, and caring species that has the power to change the world for the better.
This is what fashion means to me, it thrives to make an impact on humans by creating aesthetically amusing art to bring us to our senses. One of the most unforgettable scenes to me was when the humans were so insignificant in front of the explosion. Yet, we fail to see our mistakes and continue to destroy everything that is way bigger than us. For example, the forest fires in Brazil and Australia were caused by global warming and our bad habits, we burned lands for farming purposes to make more money. The world is doing way worse than we think, we have to recognize what’s crumbling in front of us in order to stop it.
Living in a city across the ocean from radiation in Fukushima has made a huge impact on me. We could not consume seafood and were told to wear a mask. I pursued this topic not only because it is currently a huge global issue but I want to further encourage people to take action after seeing my dress. After completing this project, I felt that I’ve accomplished a small step toward being a designer because I was able to express human behavior through a piece of clothing.
