artist warns of climate change with painted murals on melting icebergs

artist warns of climate change with ephemeral murals painted on melting icebergs
all images courtesy of hula

ephemerality is both physically manifested and used as a metaphor in the latest series of painted portraits by hawaiian artist sean yoro, aka hula. these recent murals have been rendered on the frigid surface of icebergs, freshly broken off from a nearby glacier. ‘a’o ‘ana’ (the warning) sees a submerged female figure ‘hidden’ beneath the water’s edge. the woman’s face painted on the side of the ice block just barely peers above the rising tide. on the adjacent shoreline, hula has painted the image of a reaching arm onto a glacial mass. the hand, extending outwards, points at the hundreds of icy objects surrounding it, which have settled on shore. 

murals have been rendered on the frigid surface of icebergs, freshly broken off from a nearby glacier

‘in the short time I was there, I witnessed the extreme melting rate first hand as the sound of ice cracking was a constant background noise while painting,’ hula says. ‘within a few weeks these murals will be forever gone, but for those who find them, I hope they ignite a sense of urgency, as they represent the millions of people in need of our help who are already being affected from the rising sea levels of climate change.’

a submerged female figure is ‘hidden’ beneath the water’s edge

the woman’s face painted on the side of the ice block just barely peers above the rising tide

hula uses a paddleboard to reach the glacial masses 

on the adjacent shoreline, hula has painted the image of a reaching arm onto an icy mass

hula knows that within a few weeks, the murals will be forever gone

the icy landscape where the artist has made his mark — temporarily