Beatriz Morales was featured in “Art For Your Oceans”, an exhibition curated by Artwise for WWF in association with Sotheby’s under the Art For Your World platform, which unites international artists to raise awareness of the environmental crisis. Alongside sixteen other leading artists, Morales created works using fully sustainable seaweed-based ink, a new material which could become an invaluable tool in the fight against climate change.
OCEAN INK® is the world’s first sustainable, fully biodegradable ink made from regeneratively farmed seaweed and developed by OCEANIUM. The farming takes place off the west coast of Scotland, near the island of Skye. There, waves crash gently on the shore and on the surface everything appears calm. But further out, a few floats sway softly on the water, the only visible sign that something is happening. Hidden from unaware eyes a grid lies below the water surface, where seaweed is being farmed.
It’s difficult to imagine that something apparently so small might revolutionise the future of our planet, serving as a sustainable alternative for many industries, from beauty products to food supplements. Even harder to imagine is that from seaweed a new type of water-based ink can be produced, which offers an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional inks. As shown by this sustainable alternative, more than just being a reflection of our reality, art has the potential to offer new ways of responding to the current global challenges through creative expression and a reimagining of our relationship with the world around us.
Themes such as the circular use of natural resources and the harmony of human design with nature are central to Beatriz Morales’ work. Her artistic works are mainly made out of henequen, a resistant fibre derived from agaves that belongs to an ancient Mexican tradition now almost forgotten. This material is central to the meaning of her art, conveying a heritage of ancestral knowledge and harmony with nature. Morales’ choice to participate in the Art For Your World exhibition reflects the same intention and commitment, reaffirming through her works the potential of art to go beyond being a mere reflection of reality and to also serve as a spark for change, actively taking part in shaping a more sustainable future.
Used to work with natural materials with a strong cultural root, Morales sees the use of this natural ink as fully aligned with her artistic ethos, explaining:
“In my work with fibers I use natural dyes following ancient, pre-hispanic recipes with all-natural ingredients. The natural ink I used for this project for WWF and Art For Your Oceans is made entirely from seaweed. It’s a natural, sustainable extension of my palette of materials, in this instance supporting a cause very close to my heart: the preservation of a healthy global ocean ecosystem.“
“The name Tecuani, which means “untamed animal”, is a word from Nahuatl, the language of the Maya and Aztecs. Apart from the animalistic associations of the hairs, which are actually plant fibers from the cactus-like Mexican agave plant, the name also alludes to origin, untamed spirit, a connection to ancient ancestry and awe of the natural world in its strength and beauty.”
– Beatriz Morales
