Awoken: A hole in the paper sky

Through his surreal and magical photographs, Simon McCheung is pioneering the fight against climate change. Behind his works, there is a narrative, a powerful message, which hopefully can resonate and connect with us in a much stronger and deeper way than words.

In a conversation with Cristina Ye, Made In Bed's Agent of Change editor, Simon McCheung shares his awakening journey towards a planet in need.

The art world has been wondering about the future of the environment for a long time, raising awareness of impending risks. Starting from the 1960s, with the birth of the environmental movement and the consciousness of humankind's impact on the balance of the Planet. Many artists produce works aimed at raising awareness. Today, the activism of artists for the climate is ever stronger. In the 1960s people were living in a state of impoverishment of their environments, with the current situation getting more out of hand; the carbon dioxide emissions, which we continue to produce, have reached record levels. The global climate suffering, is leading to unimaginable consequences. Among the many artists, the works of Simon McCheung on climate change quickly catch the public’s attention.

Simon McCheung is a self-taught photographer based in London. Coming from a Chinese family, whose culture doesn't place art in its list of successful professional careers, he decided to pursue a degree in animation, rather than art, specifically photography. After his graduation, he worked as a graphic designer within the gaming industry. Some of his projects were with Rocksteady / Warner Bros, EA and Microsoft, as well as Sony PlayStation. Despite the lack of support from his family, McCheung kept experimenting with photography as a hobby. Photography becoming a fundamental part of his life as recently as 8 years ago, drove him to focus more on his series of works. His journey as a professional photographer started with the making of self-portraits. After only two years, McCheung was invited by Saatchi Gallery for a presentation of his works.

Through his surreal and magical photographs, McCheung contributes to the fight of climate change. Behind his works, there is a narrative, a powerful message, which hopefully can resonate and connect with us in a much stronger and deeper way than words. He admits that he was already aware of environmental issues, however had never actively addressed it until his trip to Iceland, where the series 'Interstellar' was born. A series of work which its original aim was not meant to convey a climate change message; but a story of an astronaut who went to an alien planet.

"In my journey to Iceland, I got to talk a lot with local people. The number one subject that always came up was climate change. They were concerned about the future of their country as they get to see with their own eyes ice melting every day. It was a big change for them. This struck me because, at that time, I felt like not everyone was concerned about climate issues -specifically melting ice- more than the local people. I decided then to prompt my idea around and re-express how the land is changing beneath our feet. "

The series "Interstellar" depicts an astronaut who visits this beautiful planet (Iceland) and experiences the surroundings through his helmet. During the journey, the helmet breaks revealing the stark reality behind the glass: a planet that needs help. Going forward with the series, you can see the astronaut exploring the new environment with a new consciousness. Its increasing climax flows into the last image showing the astronaut laying down on his chest near the seaside. The still man symbolizes the frustration one might feel by seeing our planet slowly die and our incapability of reaction. It is quite an oxymoron: the same silence and motionless represented in the photograph are actually shouting and screaming for a change themselves.

Like a 'hole in the paper sky' of Pirandello (an Italian writer of the late 19th and early 20th century; the term usually is used to indicate an epiphany, when the false reality shatters and an individual can see the truth), McCheung started to reflect about the consequences of humankind on the planet and decided to give his contribution as well. Thus, another series was created: "Climate Change". Dramatic, captivating and enlightening, McCheung tackles most, if not all, of the environmental issues: deforestation, fast-fashion, excessive use of plastic, petrol, air pollution and so on. His great creativity allows him to work with everyday objects, keeping the series simple but enthralling at the same time. He likes to capture the viewers' imagination and place them in a sense of disbelief. By playing with the audiences' senses, he delivers with impetuous force a message of action. There is no planet B.

"We all are a bit like the astronaut and we need to free ourselves from those glasses to see the true reality in front of us"

As a father of a newborn, a son, a brother and a friend, McCheung felt the responsibility to educate and share his experience with his loved ones using the power of art. "I believe that people are tired of hearing the same problems all over again as a broken record. Art is more straight forward. It communicates with you. It allows you to experience, to feel. Personally, the experience I had in Iceland has changed my whole lifestyle. I started to realize that climate change was real: I didn't see it through some news, but in person. Of course, it is quite impossible to become totally plastic-free, but my usage has definitely been reduced enormously. When I have the possibility to buy from locals, I do that, rather than plastic packed vegetables from the supermarket. These are all a few simple examples. I believe that if everyone could limit a tiny bit of their plastic usage and start recycling daily, then there would already be a significant difference". Full of positivity and hope, McCheung leaves us with his photographs, confident about the next generation.

Images courtesy of Simon McCheung.

For further information about Simon McCheung check out his website and Instagram.

He is currently participating in an online exhibition:

Shape of the New by CasildArt, (11 March - 9 May)

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shapeofthenew-virtual-art-exhibition-tickets-142365630433

Cristina Ye,

Agents of Change Editor, MADE IN BED