Zaria Forman
Artist & Climate Change Activist
“I'm trying to encourage people with positivity and hope. If you fall in love with something, you want to protect it.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationZaria Forman
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
Her mother was a landscape photographer, and each summer, they’d spend one month traveling.
Her mom taught her artistic principles that Zaria still uses today, like how to set up a shot with an interesting composition, and how to follow and best make use of the light.
Years before climate change had become a huge topic of discussion, her family traveled to Greenland, where they got to see the effects of global warming up close.
She realized that she wanted to focus her work on amplifying people’s understanding of these issues.
She and her mother started planning a second excursion to Greenland, but before they could make the trip, her mom was diagnosed with brain cancer and passed away six months later.
She decided to follow through on her mother’s vision, and took the trip to Greenland with a group of artists and scientists.
After that journey, she started making the giant pastel drawings of ice that she’s become well-known for.
Believes that when people read about climate change, they have a hard time empathizing, but when they see it depicted in her large-scale paintings, they’re more moved and inspired to act.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
Artist & Climate Change Activist
I am an artist focused on creating large scale landscapes that convey the urgency of climate change.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Art
Environment & Nature
Being Creative
Day to Day
I consider it my life’s mission to convey the urgency of climate change through my work. I have traveled north to the Arctic to capture the unfolding story of polar melt, and south to the Equator to document subsequent rising seas. On these trips, I take a lot of photographs and get inspiration. I use these images as guides. On a large canvas, I grid out sections that correspond to parts of the photo and then begin painting using pastels.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
If you can visualize what you want, then the universe will find a way to provide. As long as you follow your interests and passions, things have a way of working out.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Myself:
"I don't think I can draw ice. This seems impossible. "
Challenges I Overcame
Death and Loss
Work Stress
Interviewed By
A Balanced Equation
Women in STEM careers
