Art Competition Entries & Results
We are thrilled to share the official entries and results of the 2024 Global Ocean Cleanup Art Competition. Each winner will receive an additional $500 to support their ocean conservation work.
Thank you and congratulations to all of our participants and to our panel of judges.
Entry 1: CURMA - Philippines
Description: Local artist Alger Gueverra created this piece using discarded slippers (flip-flops) collected during CURMA's beach cleanup in La Union, Philippines. A local artist known for his slipper art, Alger is an environmentalist, surfer, and a vegetarian by heart. In this piece, he laboriously pulverized rubber slippers into a fine powder using a grinding machine and used it as pigment for this artwork. The work depicts a sea turtle mistakenly eating a plastic bag to highlight the dangers brought about by plastics in oceans.
Artist Statement: In the words of the artist, "By providing new life to ocean waste, I hope to create awareness about our impact on the environment and encourage others to repurpose and recycle.” The inspiration for the artwork comes from the conservation efforts on the ground. Last year alone, 2 out of 3 turtles admitted to the CURMA center suffered from plastic ingestion. Through this artwork, we hope to inspire care and action that contributes to a cleaner and healthier marine environment.
The artwork embodies our mission to work towards marine turtle conservation as a catalyst to inspire and empower the people through education, advocacy, and community building, to take action toward a more sustainable future for our oceans.
Entry 2: Kenyan Youth Biodiversity Project - Kenya
Description: We created a version of the 2024 Global Ocean Cleanup logo using debris collected during our cleanup of Diani Beach in Kwale, Kenya. The art was first drawn on a piece of paper to create a prototype, which was transferred onto a plywood board. We then painted the board and attached bottle tops, flip flops, fishing ropes, and other foam collected during our clean up. The board, glue, and drawing book were all sourced from local stores.
Artist Statement: We chose to use the Global Ocean Cleanup logo because we wanted to create greater awareness and a local movement around this global campaign on plastics. Through in-person and social media engagement, we primarily targeted our members, who are mostly youth, to make them inspired to take action against plastic pollution. Our second target audience was ocean users and beach goers (mostly tourists coming to the Kenyan coast), and that's why we took the artwork to the beach, to show how plastics negatively impacts marine ecosystems.
Entry 3: Naifaru Juvenile & Atoll Marine Centre - Maldives
Description: Living wall (with functional drip line irrigation) and bottlenose dolphin made from waste collected during a cleanup on Naifaru Island, Maldives.
Artist statement: Our art project is made from the trash collected during the event and was the brainchild of one of our international volunteers. She wanted to make something beautiful and functional. She created a living wall made from one of the most prolific items we found: plastic water bottles. It also includes rope, strapping material, wood, plastic bags, and net, as well as some hose and other pieces to make a functional drip line. One of our other volunteers made a bottlenose dolphin from some of the trash found. This was placed at the top of the living wall, but sadly did not remain attached so it is pictured separately. We will work on finding a way to keep it attached, painting it, and will continue to expand the wall as more volunteers join us.
Entry 4: Phu Quoc Sach & Xanh - Vietnam
Description: Titled "Abundance" of the Sea, this piece created by Phu Quoc Sach & Xanh uses a variety of waste collected at cleanup sites, fixed atop and around a painting of Gam Ghi Island, one of the locations cleaned during the 2024 Global Ocean Cleanup.
Artist Statement: With this artwork, Phu Quoc Sach & Xanh aim to highlight the alarming reality of ocean pollution, particularly plastic pollution, and to raise community awareness and encourage action. The artwork was created to be used as a creative educational tool. It will be showcased in monthly community events with the goal to both share the organization's work and empower behavior change.
Entry 5: Plastic Punch - Ghana
Description: Sea turtle depicted by assembling discarded single-use plastics (primarily plastic bags) collected during the Global Ocean Cleanup at Sakumo and Teshie-Nungua beaches in Greater Accra, Ghana.
Artist Statement: Our art piece, created from single-use plastics collected from the beach, highlights the plight of marine turtles affected by ocean pollution. Because our cleanup took place on a sea turtle nesting beach, we crafted a representation of a marine turtle to emphasize the impact of human consumption on marine life. The art also references the turtle carapace that was found during our beach cleanup. Through this artwork, we aim to raise awareness about responsible consumption and sustainable living, serving as a reminder of the urgent need to protect our oceans and marine life.
Entry 6: VEPA - Tonga
Description: The VEPA team joined together with community ambassadors and representatives to create this artwork, which depicts a humpback whale and a sea turtle using beverage cans, beverage bottles (glass), food wrappers (lollies, twisties), plastic noodle bags, pieces of cloth, and cigarette butts. This rubbish was collected by three community ambassadors during the cleanups in their communities and in coastal areas where it could impact whales and turtles. The materials were cut into shapes and stuck to the turtle and humpback whale drawings using glue and sellotape.
Artist Statement: The community ambassadors chose to display plastics, glass, and cigarette butts in their artwork in order to show their impact on the ocean and on marine species. The team decided to draw two marine species that are very important to marine environment and marine ecosystem: a humpback whale and a sea turtle. Turtles are very important because they help maintain the health of seagrass beds and coral reefs and are endangered species to Tonga. Whales are important to the overall health of the marine environment because they live in the ocean and create essential oxygen. Not only that, but they also draw tourists from all over the world that boost our economy and provide job opportunities for some locals.
The ambassadors together with their representatives from their communities had fun and were excited knowing how important it is to do ocean cleanups and contain littering in coastal areas. Do SAVE marine and sea species for future generations and MAINTAIN a healthy ocean.
Entry 7: FUNZEL - El Salvador
Description: The FUNZEL team, along with volunteers, transformed their collected waste into inspiring art to raise awareness about marine conservation. Using bottle caps, one of the most common types of debris found on local beaches, they crafted the silhouette of a sea turtle.
Artist Statement: This artwork serves as a visual representation and reminder of the need to protect sea turtles and marine life from ocean pollution. The team's goal with this piece is to emphasize the necessity of safeguarding ecosystems and reducing the harmful impact of plastics on nature.
Furthermore, during the event, FUNZEL faced a national emergency due to a tropical storm. These storms exacerbate flooding in communities and local ecosystems, leading to an increased influx of plastic waste on beaches. This served as a reminder of the immediate need for action to protect ocean health and minimize environmental impacts, emphasizing the crucial role of collective efforts in safeguarding ecosystems and mitigating harm.
Art Contest Results
Our 2024 Global Ocean Cleanup Art Competition results are as follows:
Judges' Selections
The following winners were selected by our esteemed panel of judges:
- Winner ($500): CURMA
- Runner-Up ($500): Kenya Youth Biodiversity Network
Audience Choice Results
The following winner was selected through a public vote held online from June 25 - July 1, 2024:
- Audience Choice Winner ($500): CURMA
Congratulations and thank you to all of the 2024 Global Ocean Cleanup Art Contest participants!