The pollution of the oceans has reached such an extent that plastic waste is becoming a life-limiting component. Not only does plastic float in the sea, but plastic also becomes the habitat of marine life. In my artwork on which the print is based, I combine the beauty of the sunset over the sea with the absolute nightmare for the marine world.
Falk Lehmann, better known as AKUT, is a renowned photorealistic artist and photographer based in Berlin. He is a co-founder of the legendary Ma'Claim Crew and one half of the street art duo Herakut. AKUT's work is characterized by a meticulous photorealistic precision, deeply rooted in the graffiti culture of the 90s. Originally from Schmalkalden, AKUT was one of the pioneers of graffiti in his hometown during the late 80s. His unique approach to graffiti, focusing on photorealism rather than the traditional tagging and lettering, set his work apart from graffiti found elsewhere in the world.
I have always felt comfortable representing marine fauna in my illustrations. Fish, squid, and octopus have always had a prominent place in my works, whether they are at the bottom of the sea or lost in outer space swimming among skulls and planets. In 2018, I drew a large grouper swimming among the skyscrapers of a city as if the animal was invading the place. My intention when I drew this was to portray the feeling of being lost, of someone who is out of place where they belong. When I was invited to make a poster for the PangeaSeed project, I decided to revisit this idea and try to portray how we humans are invading the space of marine life when we occupy coastal areas. We often see mega buildings erected on the seafront without the slightest care regarding the severe impact they have on coastal ecosystems.
My idea when creating this work was to portray an invasion of marine fauna in a large coastal city, as if the oceans were taking back the space that was theirs. We don't belong to the coast, and they do.
This edition under blacklight reveals the text "Water is Life".
