Series – Five elements of Universe; Fire

Size: 50 x 100 cm

This painting is an intuitive take on forest wildfires which is one of the most common forms of natural disasters in areas like Siberia, California and Australia. In higher-latitude forests, fires help maintain a healthy forest ecosystem by releasing important nutrients into the soil and aiding in seed dispersal.

However, we humans have also contributed to wildfires by igniting flame and by contributing towards hotter climates which irreparably damages forests ecosystems. The resulting smoke and haze can travel miles, creating public health crises as people breathe in unhealthy levels of pollutants. Uncontrolled wildfires cause billions of dollars in economic damage each year as property and natural tourist attractions are destroyed, water supplies are polluted, and economies are crippled by evacuations.