Marcia Diaz Agudelo

WASTE MANAGEMENT

The soil in the landfill areas is toxic—killing the surrounding animal and plant life, and limiting building development in its proximity.

Open B&W Edition

Artist Colour Edition

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MARCIA DIAZ AGUDELO

I’m a Colombian-Canadian designer, illustrator and motion graphics artist. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia and now based in Toronto, Canada. I’m always inspired by my South American roots. I love colour, textures, rhythm, and complex subjects. I have an interest in anthropology, technology, and history. I enjoy connecting to people through stories and transforming complex subjects into thoughtful and meaningful graphic narratives.

My work is completely digital, and it’s characterized by geometric shapes, bright colours, and textures. Working digitally lets me try different things quickly with different methods such as drawing, vector illustration, and animation. I love experimenting with different ways of doing things and learning new ways of incorporating technology into my work.

My work has been exhibited in Toronto and in Mexico City.

marciadiaz.myportfolio.com
@marcia_ilustra

Artist Statement
There is much data about the amount of waste produced by Torontonians, but these numbers are so large that it sometimes becomes too abstract for us to really comprehend. 942,700 tonnes of garbage, for example, is an overwhelming number to try to imagine. With this piece, I wanted to show how much garbage is produced by a single person in Toronto in a year, which, on average, amounts to 511kg, more than six times the body weight of the average Canadian. In this piece, I used negative space created by pieces of garbage to create a person’s silhouette and point to the fact that our garbage reflects us and our decisions. In turn, this garbage shapes the way we live - from contamination of the environment, to contributing to global warming, to environmental racism.

My piece includes drawings of more than 80 individual pieces of garbage that together form a bigger picture. I hope that by looking at this piece and interacting with it by colouring, people will recognize that what may at first seem like a small amount of garbage, is part of a larger, vast amount of waste. We can do so much for our planet, from individual action, to demanding best policies from our governments and industry.

Animation Statement
With this animation, I wanted to show waste can accumulate so quickly that it erases the human form and becomes an overwhelming, shapeless mass that is nearly impossible to control. It is part of a cycle that repeats over and over, multiplied by billions of consumers around the world.