Art activism with plastics

Benjamin Von Wong, 35, is a Canadian artist, activist, and photographer best known for his environmental art installations and hyper-realist art style. He is a motivational speaker and an advocate against Ocean Plastics, and is also notable for creating several viral social media campaigns.

When Tomra wanted to make recycling interesting, Von Wong created a mermaid drowning in a sea of 10 000 plastic bottles – the number the average American will use over a lifetime.

In 2019, Von Wong earned a Guinness World Record for ‘Strawpocalypse’, the largest supported art installation made from re-purposed plastic drinking straws, to raise awareness around the environmental damage to the ocean caused by plastics. He collaborated with the National Environment Agency and the Canadian High Commission in Singapore to create an art installation titled ‘Plastikophobia’ made from 18 000 plastic cups for a solo gallery exhibition at the Sustainable Singapore Galleries.

To see more of his creations, visit www.vonwong.com