Dafne

Artist Statement

“Dafne” is a re-imagination of a painting by teen artist Dafne Murillo, a Bow Seat's Ocean Awareness Contest art scholarship winner. This mural was facilitated by Bow Seat's Executive Director Alyssa Irizarry on H.P. Baldwin High School's campus. Students had the opportunity to add plastic pieces to the whale based on conversations about marine debris they commonly encounter on Maui’s beaches or and the plastic items they use on a daily basis.  Each winter, an estimated 12,000 humpback whales visit the waters of Maui Nui to breed and nurse their young. Humpbacks can be found in our oceans around the world—and so can plastic pollution. We celebrate and cherish these majestic creatures, contributing to a billion dollar whale tourism industry worldwide. But whales, the largest mammals on Earth, are increasingly threatened by plastic waste in the ocean, whether through direct ingestion or entanglement. “Dafne” is a reminder of our close relationship with the incredible marine life that inhabits our blue planet. It’s about cultivating an awareness about how our actions on land directly impact life below the surface. Whether in Boston (Bow Seat's home), Maui, Lima, Peru (student artivist Dafne’s hometown), or hundreds of miles inland, we can all respect and honor this interconnection by being aware of—and reducing—our personal plastic consumption, and supporting community-based efforts to eliminate single-use plastics (such as Maui’s recent polystyrene foam-free initiative).

The Focus

Plastic pollution

Take Action

Reduce your own plastic footprint by

• Using a reusable water bottle and avoiding drinks bottled in plastic
• Bringing your own bag, cup, utensils, straw, etc.
• Shopping in bulk, reducing packaging waste
• Choosing reusable and compostable goods over less sustainable materials