Earlier this year, Intership commissioned a booklet titled ‘Esmeralda’. The book tells the story of a young turtle named Esmeralda whose life is endangered by the plastic waste in our oceans. The booklet was published in Greek and English and distributed to schools in Cyprus by Cymepa, the Cyprus Marine Environment Protection Association. The story has since also been translated for distribution in the Philippines.
But why stop here?
Intership recently commissioned the fabrication of a life-sized turtle. The turtle, aptly named ‘Esmeralda’, was entrusted to well known Cypriot artist Spyros Demetriades to decorate. Esmeralda was then raffled off during Cymepa’s AGM to raise money towards further promotion of Cymepa’s work.
I decided to depict the play of sun beams on Esmeralda’s shell as they are cast on her penetrating the blue surface of the sea. The rest of her body is marked by the plastic litter and on her head, I left in white the still pure part of her. Metaphorically the light on the shell might be associated with a net that braids and immobilizes the turtle. Then as a final touch a red tear underlines the suffering of this sympathetic sea species.
- Spyros Demetriades
