Plenty of photographers have flocked to northern waters to document the rapidly changing environment that lies beyond the Arctic Circle. However, we doubt as many painters or visual artists have ventured to the freezing regions to capture the shifting beauty of landscapes affected by climate change.
That's what makes Zaria Forman's work so unique. The artist recently traveled up the northwest coast of Greenland, basing her journey on the century-old travels of American painter William Bradford. Like her predecessor, who completed his journey in 1869, Forman recorded the vast and haunting sights she experienced along the way into epic landscape artworks.
The project, titled "Chasing the Light," was partly inspired by Forman's childhood adventures with her family, traveling to remote landscapes for her mother's fine art photography career. Turning her attention to Greenland in particular, Forman follows in Bradford and her mother's footsteps, translating rarely seen terrains into striking pastel drawings.
The works, featuring gorgeous towering icebergs and crystal-clear waters, bring a different, albeit positive perspective to Greenland's fluctuating reality. The drawings shine a light on the complex evolution that takes place across our planet.
"Greenland's ice and permafrost will continue to melt in the coming decades as the planet adjusts to our carbon emissions," Forman explained in an email to The Huffington Post. "It is unfortunate, but inevitable, which is why I find it crucial to render and honor these icescapes in flux, and to help bring awareness to many whose lives will be affected."
After drawing her way through Greenland, Forman has decided to continue her endeavors -- part artistic journey, part environmental education. She has plans of journeying to Maldives next, accompanied by painter Lisa Lebofsky and writer/filmmaker/artist Drew Denny, to document a country that could be swept away by the ocean in the next 1,000 years.
"My hope is that my drawings will raise awareness and invite viewers to share the urgency of the Maldivians’ predicament in a productive and hopeful way," Forman stated. "I believe art can facilitate a deeper understanding of crises, helping us find meaning and optimism amidst shifting landscapes."
Scroll through a selection of "Chasing the Light" below and let us know your thoughts on Forman's art-meets-science expedition in the comments.
h/t My Modern Met