Fruitful

This work explores our profound connection to nature, demonstrating how art can serve as a powerful tool to deepen our relationship with the natural world. Art not only has the ability to resonate with people and spread awareness, but it also has the potential to inspire and transform our perspectives.

In this project, Kira aims to showcase the inherent beauty of nature, even in elements often discarded as waste. Specifically, I use tomato skins and plant remnants, byproducts typically thrown away by manufacturers, to create a unique art piece. The entire artwork is crafted from various parts of the tomato plant. The paint is created from the skin and leaves, while the canvas is constructed from the plant’s stems.

The pigments used in the paint are naturally occurring in the tomato plant, thanks to the presence of carotenoids. In red tomatoes, lycopene is the dominant pigment, giving them their vibrant hue, while yellow tomatoes contain less of these carotenoids. Green tomatoes contain chlorophyll, which provides their characteristic shade. To create the pigments for painting, these compounds are extracted from the skin and processed into a fine powder, which is then mixed with a medium to produce the final paint.

The canvas, or base for the painting, is made from the fibres of the tomato plant’s stems. These plant fibres are primarily composed of cellulose, a strong and versatile material suitable for various applications. To create a smooth, flat surface for painting, the fibres are first pulped and then formed into a paper-like material.

The finished piece reflects the natural harmony of the tomato plant, illustrating how each part of the plant is interconnected and balanced. On a broader scale, this work symbolizes the balance inherent in nature as a whole. My hope is that viewers will sense this balance and be inspired to embrace a more symbiotic relationship with the environment.