Why the David Suzuki Foundation featured this Creative Industries student’s artwork

Creative Industries student Gabriella Yapp (external link, opens in new window) , was among a selection of artists chosen by the David Suzuki Foundation to showcase her artwork (external link, opens in new window)  as part of the Art for Climate Justice initiative (external link, opens in new window) . This collaborative art project brought together artists from across the country as part of call for bold climate change. The artwork will be featured in a print book that will be sent to cabinet ministers, the Prime Minister, and several other party leaders at this year’s United Nations Climate Conference. The image is also featured on a unique poster for climate justice (external link, opens in new window)  that can be downloaded, printed and posted publicly.

“I’ve always loved the environment, and practicing storytelling and visual art to communicate meaningful messages that are relevant to modern contexts,” says Yapp. “This initiative aligned with my passions and what I believe is my life’s calling”.

Yapp’s piece, Last chance, mankind, is a manifestation of her feelings towards climate change; apocalyptic and devastating. The Uninhabitable Earth by David-Wallace Wells was her first introduction to the effects of climate change, and she wanted to create something that encapsulated her feelings of reading what our potential future could hold.

“I was inspired by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from the Bible,” she shares. “Christian stories depict the apocalypse as divine end-times upon the world. Traditional Western apocalyptic narratives are also another thing. For example, [the film] Inte, for example, [the film] Interstellar taking place during a crop blight, and Mad Max: Fury Road unfurling a world-made desert. However, none of these stories ever directly address the climate crisis”.

Visual narrative of climate apocalypse

Yapp centres a narrative of climate catastrophe linked to environmental degradation by corporations. 

“A key theme in my piece is the earth fighting back, which is manifested in the form of Mother Nature, personified as a woman with fire bursting from the fissure of head as she rides atop a black horse reining on its hind legs, [and] holding up the Scales of Justice as if bringing judgement down upon the viewer,” she explains. “My depiction of Mother Nature was inspired by Indigenous knowledge and how they see the earth as this autonomous and independent power that is to be respected by humanity.”

Yapp also uses literal elements representing climate change, from flames and ashes symbolizing wildfires to the waves of a blue dress akin to flooding. She says the tone depicts anger at what has been harmed, and towards finding ourselves in this crisis.

The title, Last chance, mankind, refers to what she, and top climate scientists say, is our last chance to protect and preserve what is left before it’s too late. 

As a Creative Industries student, Yapp has felt encouraged to create. “The people in the program definitely embody a special kind of energy,” she says. “Everyone is brave and bold; they go out and achieve what they set their minds to. Being surrounded by people like this makes you even more hungry. It’s a fuel like no other.”

Sign the David Suzuki Foundation climate action petition here (external link, opens in new window) .

Download Gabriella Yapp’s poster here (external link, opens in new window) 

Find out more about Art for Climate Justice here (external link, opens in new window) .

The Creative School at Ryerson University

The Creative School is a dynamic faculty that is making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Made up of Canada’s top professional schools and transdisciplinary hubs in media, communication, design and cultural industries, The Creative School offers students an unparalleled global experience in the heart of downtown Toronto.