As storm clouds gathered on a forgotten beach in China’s Miaodao islands, artist Fu Junsheng picked his way through piles of plastic waste washed up along the shoreline, looking for inspiration. China is the world’s largest plastic producer, and the islands – a niche tourist destination – sit in the cross-stream of several highly developed eastern peninsulas. Every squall brings fresh waves of floating debris onto the archipelago’s white sand beaches – and eight years ago Fu decided to make that waste both his artistic message and medium.
“Our generation has witnessed rapid societal development. In the process, we’ve sometimes neglected nature, and at times, even ignored it altogether,” the 36-year-old said as he showed AFP around his studio, full of pieces created from plastic washed ashore. One of the most striking installations features nearly 900 flip-flops, displayed in front of his seascape oil paintings.
“(Marine debris) carries our daily life, the life of each of us,” he said. The oldest item Fu has collected is an instant noodle packet from 1993. Despite over 30 years of exposure to the elements, it remains intact, showing hardly any signs of decomposition.
“(Objects like this) don’t disappear but instead break down into tiny particles, which can end up being ingested by marine life and, eventually, by us,” said Fu. “This process is invisible to the naked eye.” The Miaodao islands sit opposite the Korean peninsula, where this week nego.
