Sydney, Australia
I moved to Australia in September 2019, and what I viewed initially as a move to a country that was relatively safe from climate catastrophes quickly turned into a move to ground zero because of the bushfire crisis. I decided to use the ashes to create art as a way forward for healing and regeneration. I reference the scene of the “Weighing of the Hearts” of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, in which the dead person’s heart is weighed against a feather. This peace offering asks us, what weighs our hearts down or makes them lighter?
PEACE BUILDER BIOGRAPHY
Catherine Sarah Young is a Chinese-Filipina award-winning artist, designer, scholar, and science fiction writer. She uses her background in molecular biology, fine art, and interaction design to create interdisciplinary and experimental artworks on the environment. She credits her decades-long martial arts practice as a foundation for her work. She is currently a Scientia PhD scholar at UNSW Sydney Art and Design and an Obama Leader for Asia Pacific.
DAILY PEACE ACTION
Create a Sky Diary: In your sketchbook or journal, pencil in circles—one a day for at least a week. Then every day, look up at the sky and paint a part of it. At the end of the week, you will have a collection of the heavens.