2023 Science Without Borders® Challenge Finalists: 11-14 year old students
The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is delighted to announce the finalists in our 2023 Science Without Borders® Challenge! This international contest engages students in important ocean issues through art. This year we asked students to create a piece of art that highlights the beauty and importance of a marine species that is on the brink of extinction.
This year we received more entries than ever before. Over 1,200 entries flooded in from 67 different countries, and let us tell you, it was no easy feat to choose the finalists. We hope you will be as impressed with the submissions we received as we were.
Entries to the Science Without Borders® Challenge are judged in two categories based on age. Here are the finalists selected from the younger group of applicants, students 11-14 years old:
"Possible Futures” by Vedha Athmanathan, Age 13, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
ARTIST'S STATEMENT: Human activity has induced the ascent of the sixth extinction through exploitation of earth’s resources. Unfortunately, marine life is not exempt from the consequences. The warming of the oceans has led to dire ramifications such as loss of marine species and coral reefs. In my painting, I have depicted two different possible futures. One illustrates a sea turtle surrounded by a thriving marine ecosystem, as opposed to the other, in which the same sea turtle is trapped in contaminated water. Light shines down on to our idealistic view of the sea portraying hope and serenity, in stark contrast to our reality where darkness blankets the water symbolising hurt and despair. The viewer is looking at these futures through sub-marine windows, taking shelter in a man made structure. This demonstrates our separation to what is happening outside mirroring our current denial of the harmful effects of human activity.
