It is important to protect our forests. In this virtual Art Gallery challenge, we asked our Cotton Trail Artists to create art that symbolises exactly that. To put the forest on the agenda and showcase not only the beauty and resources a forest has to offer but also that we can not be without our forests. Art is a great way to “showcase” the message “We need to unite to Protect our Forests”.
The canvas for our Gambia art is cotton. The paintings have been done at home, under the mentorship of Njogu Touray via WhatsApp. Each of the artists was asked to give their paintings a title, and a description. Take a look through our Virtual Art Gallery and Protect our Forests paintings.
Local artist: Martin K Aklibosu (Zoom)
The Struggle begins when our forest is gone | Protecting our forests means wildlife stay in their habitats. This prevents them from migrating to wastelands, where there is no vegetation, cover and food.
Local artist: Jatou Mbye
Rerl Si Arla (Wolof: light in a forest) | Inspiration from a clean and fresh piece of land with many trees in Janjanbureh village. Immediately I went into the forest, I came to appreciate more of where I was from. I decided to take lots of photos to get as much inspiration as possible and then paint to show how I value and appreciate our motherland.
Local artist: Musa Bah
Stop cutting trees | the silk cotton tree standing still tall, next to a tree that has been cut down. It’s not good if you cut the trees in the forest, we will destroy the livelihood and plants for the animals. Let’s protect our forests and environment.
Local artist: Anta Ceesay
Save the Trees | we should protect our forests and stop cutting down the trees and start planting them instead. Let´s keep the forest beautiful so that there will be a place for the little butterflies and birds to be.
Local Artist: Abdou Aziz Ceesay (Aziz)
Preserve the Forest | This painting shows the beauty of the forest and how animals can live in it without fear of been removed from their habitats. Protecting the forest will prevent animals from been extinct.
Local artist: Zina Zoker
Standing Tree | In this piece, you can see a tree standing all alone as it waits for it’s time to be cut down. No one there to stand for it and protect it from being cut down, as it stands tall to a scary world around it.
Local artist: Amadou Bah
Baobab Tree | Is very important in our daily life because Baobab trees take many years to grow. They are a gift from God and from these trees, we can make juice which has many health benefits for us. That’s why we have to keep this nature tree in our Forests.
Local artist: Ebrima Gitteh
Save the Nature for Your Future | This painting is about a man planting trees to combat deforestation and allowing the animals to live peacefully and in safety.
Local artist: Amadou Barry
PPI Planned Protection Initiatives | The picture illustrates the effects of Global warming. Also, the role children can play in the fight against climate change.
Renewable energies are modern ways of curbing emissions and protecting animals from the effects of deforestation.