The artwork is a photographic collage that conceptually explores the ongoing crisis in the Congo, focusing on the cobalt mining industry, its impact on the displacement of native communities, and the exploitation of miners who endure harsh conditions and extreme poverty without fair compensation. At the centre of the composition is a woman who personifies the Congo itself, her closed eyes and mouth symbolizing silenced suffering and a lack of agency in the face of systemic exploitation. She is forcibly restrained by two men, representing the countries and corporations that dominate the cobalt trade, driven by greed and indifference to human rights. Their presence underscores the imbalance of power and the complicity of global entities in perpetuating this crisis. A third figure, with an expression of cold detachment, is depicted extracting technological products from within the woman’s body, these products, are emblematic of modern advancements heavily reliant on cobalt. The invasive act of extraction serves as a stark metaphor for the stripping of the Congo’s resources and its people’s dignity, reducing them to tools for global convenience. The artwork’s layered composition, using human figures with elements of industry and technology, invites viewers to confront the ethical dilemmas behind the devices they use daily. It challenges the audience to question the human and environmental cost of progress, shedding light on the hidden injustices that fuel modern consumerism.
and the round ocean and living air.
