ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Zaria Forman - Artist
Zaria Forman uses visual art to connect people with the impact of climate change.

Why you should listen

The inspiration for Zaria Forman's drawings began in early childhood when she traveled with her family throughout several of the world's most remote landscapes, which were the subject of her mother's fine art photography. She was born in South Natick, Massachusetts and currently works and resides in Brooklyn, New York. She studied at the Student Art Centers International in Florence, Italy and received a BS in Studio Arts at Skidmore College in New York. Her works have been in publications such as Juxtapoz Magazine, National Geographic Magazine, Huffington Post, and the Smithsonian Magazine.

Recent achievements include participation in Banksy's Dismaland and a solo exhibition at Winston Wächter Fine Art in New York in September and October of 2015. Her drawings have been used in the set design for the Netflix TV series House of Cards.

In August 2012, Forman led Chasing the Light, an expedition sailing up the coast of Greenland, retracing the 1869 journey of American painter William Bradford and documenting the rapidly changing arctic landscape. Continuing to address climate change in her work, Forman traveled multiple times to the Maldives, the lowest-lying country in the world, and arguably the most vulnerable to rising sea levels.

Forman was invited aboard the National Geographic Explorer, traveling to Antarctica as an artist-in-residence in November and December 2015. Her next solo show will take place at Winston Wächter Fine Art’s Seattle location, in February and March of 2017.

More profile about the speaker
Zaria Forman | Speaker | TED.com
TED Talks Live

Zaria Forman: Drawings that show the beauty and fragility of Earth

Zaria Forman: 顯示地球美麗同脆弱一面嘅圖畫

Filmed:
1,485,004 views

Zaria Forman 嘅大型作品透過描繪溶化梗嘅冰川、浮於水面嘅冰山、同埋海浪裏面嘅白泡,探索氣候變化當中自然環境嘅動與靜。不妨聽下佢嘅靈感同背後動機。佢話︰「我嘅畫作歌頌我哋所有人都會失去嘅美麗。我希望我嘅作品可以記錄低變幻當中嘅壯麗景色。」
- Artist
Zaria Forman uses visual art to connect people with the impact of climate change. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
I consider諗緊 it my life's生活嘅 mission任務
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我將一件事當成我一生嘅使命
00:15
to convey傳達 the urgency緊迫性
of climate氣候 change through透過 my work.
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就係用我作品傳達氣候變化嘅急切性
00:19
I've traveled旅行 north to the Arctic北極
to the capture捕獲 the unfolding展開 story故事
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我去北極
搜集一啲不為人知
關於北極融化嘅故事
00:23
of polar melt融化,
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00:25
and south to the Equator赤道 to document快勞
the subsequent隨後 rising上升 seas海洋.
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又去赤道記錄
因融化而升咗嘅海平面
00:29
Most recently最近, I visited訪問
the icy冰冷 coast海岸 of Greenland格陵蘭
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最近,我走訪格陵蘭嘅結冰海岸
以及馬爾代夫嘅低窪島嶼
00:33
and the low-lying低窪 islands島嶼 of the Maldives馬爾代夫,
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連起兩個看似毫不相關
00:36
connecting連接 two seemingly看似 disparate不同
but equally同樣 endangered瀕危
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但同樣喺我哋地球瀕臨消失嘅地方
00:41
parts部分 of our planet星球.
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00:43
My drawings圖紙 explore探討 moments時刻
of transition過渡, turbulence湍流
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我嘅畫探索風景嘅轉變、狂風怒號
以及安寧
00:49
and tranquility寧靜 in the landscape景觀,
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令觀眾同呢個或者成世都唔會去嘅地方
00:52
allowing允許 viewers觀眾 to emotionally情緒 connect連接
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00:55
with a place地方 you might可能 never
have the chance機會 to visit訪問.
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產生情感上嘅接觸
00:59
I choose選擇 to convey傳達 the beauty
as opposed反對 to the devastation破壞.
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我選擇要傳達美感,而唔係破壞
01:04
If you can experience經驗 the sublimity崇高
of these landscapes景觀,
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如果你能夠體會到呢啲景色嘅美
或者你會受啟發去保護佢哋
01:08
perhaps或者 you'll你咪會 be inspired啟發
to protect保護 and preserve保存 them.
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01:13
Behavioral行為 psychology心理學 tells話畀 us
that we take action行動
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行為心理學話
我哋採取行動或者做決定
係以情感行先
01:16
and make decisions決定 based基於
on our emotions情緒 above以上 all else.
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01:21
And studies研究 have shown顯示
that art藝術 impacts影響 our emotions情緒
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研究顯示
藝術比一則恐怖嘅新聞
更有效影響我哋情緒
01:24
more effectively有效 than a scary可怕 news新聞 report報告.
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01:29
Experts專家 predict預測 ice-free冇雪 Arctic北極 summers夏天
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專家預測北極
最快 2020 年出現無冰嘅夏天
01:32
as early早期 as 2020.
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海平面會喺世紀末上漲二至十呎
01:35
And sea levels水平 are likely可能 to rise上升
between之間 two and ten feet隻腳
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by century's世紀嘅 end結束.
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01:42
I have dedicated專用 my career職業
to illuminating照明 these projections預測
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我成個職業生涯
就喺度用一個大家接觸得到嘅媒介
01:47
with an accessible訪問 medium,
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提醒人呢啲預測
同統計唔同,個媒介可以觸動到人
01:49
one that moves移動 us in a way
that statistics統計 may可能 not.
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01:54
My process過程 begins初時
with traveling旅行 to the places地方
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我開始嘅時候
去一啲首當其衝
氣候變化問題嘅地方旅行
01:57
at the forefront前沿 of climate氣候 change.
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喺嗰啲地方,我影咗幾千張相
01:59
On-site現場, I take thousands數以千計 of photographs.
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返到工作室之後
02:02
Back in the studio縯播室,
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我利用我回憶裏面嘅經歷同埋相片
02:03
I work from both my memory記憶
of the experience經驗 and the photographs
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02:08
to create創建 very large-scale大規模 compositions成分,
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整咗好大規模嘅作品
有時會超過十呎闊
02:10
sometimes有時 over 10 feet隻腳 wide.
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我用似碳一樣硬、但有顏色嘅
軟粉彩畫畫
02:13
I draw with soft pastel柔和, which is dry
like charcoal木炭, but colors顏色.
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02:18
I consider諗緊 my work drawings圖紙
but others call them painting繪畫.
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對於我嘅畫,我認為只係圖畫
但其他人就覺得係畫作
02:22
I cringe畏縮, though雖然, when I'm referred to
as a "finger手指 painter畫家."
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但當人哋話我係「手指畫家」
我就唔敢當
(笑聲)
02:26
(Laughter笑聲)
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02:27
But I don't use any tools工具
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但我唔用工具
02:29
and I have always used
my fingers手指 and palms手掌
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我成日用手指同手掌
去調啱紙上面嘅顏料
02:32
to manipulate操縱 the pigment色素 on the paper.
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02:35
Drawing繪圖 is a form形式 of meditation冥想 for me.
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對我嚟說,畫畫係冥想嘅一種形式
02:40
It quiets安靜 my mind介意.
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令我思緒安靜落黎
02:42
I don't perceive感知 what I'm drawing繪圖
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我唔認為我畫嘅係冰或者水
02:44
as ice or water.
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相反,圖像會還原返做
最基本嘅顏色同形狀
02:45
Instead相反, the image圖像 is stripped剝奪 down
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02:48
to its most basic基本 form形式 of color顏色 and shape形狀.
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當作品完成時
02:52
Once一旦 the piece一塊 is complete完成,
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我就可以睇到一幅完整嘅作品
02:54
I can finally最後 experience經驗
the composition組成 as a whole整個,
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睇到一座冰山浮於玻璃般嘅水面
02:57
as an iceberg冰山 floating浮動
through透過 glassy water,
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或者夾雜泡沫嘅海浪
03:00
or a wave cresting脊入 with foam泡沫.
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03:03
On average平均, a piece一塊 this size大小
takes me about,
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平均嚟講,一幅咁大嘅作品花我
好似你睇到咁,10 秒
03:07
as you can see, 10 seconds.
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(笑聲)
03:09
(Laughter笑聲)
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(掌聲)
03:11
(Applause掌聲)
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03:15
Really, more like 200 hours小時,
250 hours小時 for something that size大小.
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認真,呢種尺寸大概花我
200 至 250 個鐘
但我從我拎得起蠟筆開始
我就一路畫梗畫
03:19
But I've been drawing繪圖 ever since因為
I could hold舉行 a crayon蠟筆, really.
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我媽媽係藝術家
03:22
My mom亞媽 was an artist藝術家, and growing增長 up,
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喺我成長裏面
我哋總係成屋擺滿美術用品
03:24
we always had art藝術 supplies用品
all over the house房子.
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我母親對攝影鍾意到
要去地球最偏遠嘅地區
03:27
My mother's亞媽 love of photography攝影
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03:29
propelled推動 her to the most
remote遠程 regions一區 of the earth地球,
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我同我家人非常好彩
03:33
and my family家庭 and I were fortunate好彩呀 enough
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03:35
to join加入 and support支持 her
on these adventures冒險.
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能夠支持同同佢一齊參加呢啲冒險
03:39
We rode camels駱駝 in Northern北部 Africa非洲
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我哋喺北非騎駱駝
又喺近北極嘅地方駕狗拉嘅雪橇
03:41
and mushed糾纏 on dog sleds雪橇
near附近 the North Pole.
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03:45
In August八月 of 2012,
I led my first expedition遠征,
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2012 年 8 月,我第一次帶人
帶住一班藝術家同學者
去格陵蘭西北嘅海岸
03:50
taking採取 a group of artists藝術家 and scholars學者
up the northwest西北 coast海岸 of Greenland格陵蘭.
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03:56
My mother母親 was originally原來
supposed應該 to lead導致 this trip旅行.
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呢次行程原本由我母親帶
行程計劃嘅初期,佢同我都喺個團度
03:59
She and I were in the early早期
stages階段 of planning規劃,
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04:01
as we had intended打算 to go together一起,
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我哋仲打算一齊去
但佢患上咗腦瘤
04:04
when she fell下跌 victim受害者 to a brain大腦 tumor腫瘤.
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04:07
The cancer癌症 quickly迅速 took over
her body身體 and mind介意,
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癌症迅速擴散,影響到佢嘅身體同個腦
半年後佢就去世
04:11
and she passed透過 away six months later之後.
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04:15
During the months of her illness疾病, though雖然,
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不過,喺佢病緊嘅幾個月裡面
04:17
her dedication奉獻 to the expedition遠征
never wavered動搖, and I made作出 a promise承諾
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佢為遠征隊所付出嘅從來無動搖過
我亦承諾要幫佢完成最後一程
04:22
to carry進行 out her final最後 journey旅程.
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04:25
My mother's亞媽 passion激情 for the Arctic北極
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我母親對北極嘅熱情
喺格陵蘭嘅經驗裏面不斷重現
04:28
echoed囘盪 through透過 my experience經驗 in Greenland格陵蘭,
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04:31
and I felt覺得 the power權力
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我感受到風景嘅脆弱同力量
04:34
and the fragility脆弱 of the landscape景觀.
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04:38
The sheer純粹 size大小 of the icebergs冰山
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以及冰山規模之大點樣震撼人心
04:41
is humbling震撼人心.
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The ice fields領域 are alive活著
with movement運動 and sound聲音
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冰原有生命
佢會移動同發出聲音
04:46
in a way that I never expected預期.
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係我從來無想像過嘅
04:49
I expanded擴大 the scale規模 of my compositions成分
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我之後擴大我嘅創作規模
04:51
to give you that same相同 sense of awe敬畏
that I experienced經歷.
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令你哋都可以感受我經過嘅震撼
04:57
Yet尚未, while the grandeur宏偉
of the ice is evident明顯,
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雖然冰高貴嘅特質顯而易見
但同時冰好脆弱
05:00
so, too, is its vulnerability漏洞.
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05:03
From our boat,
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喺船上面
我見到冰喺異常溫暖嘅陽光下出汗
05:04
I could see the ice sweating出汗
under the unseasonably反常 warm溫暖 sun太陽.
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05:10
We had a chance機會 to visit訪問
many好多 of the Inuit因纽特人 communities社區 in Greenland格陵蘭
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我哋睇到格陵蘭島好多因紐特人嘅社區
正面臨著巨大嘅挑戰
05:14
that now face塊面 huge巨大 challenges挑戰.
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當地人同我講大範圍嘅海冰
已經唔再好似以前咁結冰
05:17
The locals當地人 spoke講嘢 to me
of vast巨大 areas一區 of sea ice
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05:20
that are no longer
freezing凍結 over as they once一旦 did.
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05:23
And without ice, their佢哋 hunting狩獵
and harvesting收穫 grounds理由
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冇咗冰,獵物或者農作物收成
都大大減少
05:26
are severely嚴重 diminished減少,
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威脅住啲人嘅生活同生存空間
05:28
threatening威脅 their佢哋 way
of life and survival生存.
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05:32
The melting融化 glaciers冰川 in Greenland格陵蘭
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格陵蘭島融化梗嘅冰川
係其中一個大因素令海平面上升
05:34
are one of the largest最大
contributing貢獻 factors因素 to rising上升 sea levels水平,
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海平面上升已經開始淹沒
世界上面一啲地勢低嘅島嶼
05:38
which have already begun初時 to drown淹死
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05:41
some of our world's世界嘅 lowest-lying最低講大話 islands島嶼.
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05:44
One year after my trip旅行 to Greenland格陵蘭,
I visited訪問 the Maldives馬爾代夫,
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我去完格陵蘭島一年之後
我去咗馬爾代夫
05:49
the lowest最低 and flattest平坦 country國家
in the entire整個 world世界.
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一個世界上最低同最平坦嘅國家
我喺嗰度為我嘅新作品收集圖片同靈感
05:52
While I was there, I collected收集
images圖像 and inspiration靈感
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05:56
for a new新增功能 body身體 of work:
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作品講述海浪拍打一個國家嘅海岸
05:59
drawings圖紙 of waves lapping研磨
on the coast海岸 of a nation國家
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一個可能喺本世紀末被水淹沒嘅國家
06:03
that could be entirely完全 underwater
within this century世紀.
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06:09
Devastating毀滅性 events事件 happen發生 every day
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傷害性嘅嘢,不論喺全球同個人層面
每日都發生
06:13
on scales尺度 both global全球 and personal.
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06:16
When I was in Greenland格陵蘭,
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當我喺格陵蘭島
我將母親嘅骨灰撒喺一片融化嘅冰上面
06:18
I scattered分散 my mother's亞媽 ashes骨灰
amidst之中 the melting融化 ice.
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06:22
Now she remains仲係 a part部分
of the landscape景觀 she loved so much,
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宜家,佢成為咗佢最喜愛嘅
景色嘅一部分
就算景色會變都好
06:27
even as it, too, passes透過
and takes on new新增功能 form形式.
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06:33
Among之間 the many好多 gifts禮物 my mother母親 gave me
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喺媽媽畀我嘅咁多份禮物裡面
我最鍾意嘅係媽媽
教識我睇嘢要睇正面
06:35
was the ability能力 to focus重點 on the positive積極,
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唔好睇負面
06:38
rather than the negative.
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06:41
My drawings圖紙 celebrate慶祝 the beauty
of what we all stand to lose失去.
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而我嘅畫,都會讚頌
我哋大家都會失去嘅美
06:47
I hope希望 they can serve服務 as records記錄
of sublime崇高 landscapes景觀 in flux通量,
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我希望我嘅作品可以記錄
變幻中嘅壯美景觀
記錄環境變化
06:53
documenting記錄 the transition過渡
and inspiring皷舞人心 our global全球 community社區
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同啟發我哋全世界人為未來採取行動
06:58
to take action行動 for the future未來.
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07:01
Thank you.
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多謝
(掌聲)
07:02
(Applause掌聲)
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Translated by Timmy Kwok
Reviewed by Chak Lam Wan

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Zaria Forman - Artist
Zaria Forman uses visual art to connect people with the impact of climate change.

Why you should listen

The inspiration for Zaria Forman's drawings began in early childhood when she traveled with her family throughout several of the world's most remote landscapes, which were the subject of her mother's fine art photography. She was born in South Natick, Massachusetts and currently works and resides in Brooklyn, New York. She studied at the Student Art Centers International in Florence, Italy and received a BS in Studio Arts at Skidmore College in New York. Her works have been in publications such as Juxtapoz Magazine, National Geographic Magazine, Huffington Post, and the Smithsonian Magazine.

Recent achievements include participation in Banksy's Dismaland and a solo exhibition at Winston Wächter Fine Art in New York in September and October of 2015. Her drawings have been used in the set design for the Netflix TV series House of Cards.

In August 2012, Forman led Chasing the Light, an expedition sailing up the coast of Greenland, retracing the 1869 journey of American painter William Bradford and documenting the rapidly changing arctic landscape. Continuing to address climate change in her work, Forman traveled multiple times to the Maldives, the lowest-lying country in the world, and arguably the most vulnerable to rising sea levels.

Forman was invited aboard the National Geographic Explorer, traveling to Antarctica as an artist-in-residence in November and December 2015. Her next solo show will take place at Winston Wächter Fine Art’s Seattle location, in February and March of 2017.

More profile about the speaker
Zaria Forman | Speaker | TED.com