Conversation with the New Force at COP29: Translators of Aesthetics, Envisioning a Sustainable Future

At this moment, we begin to see: sustainability is not a solemn monologue about salvation, but an invitation-one issued by countless individuals in the language of creativity.

Yi Yi: A Young Artist Dialoguing with the Past and Future

Born in the scenic city of Hangzhou, Zhu Chen Yi (Yi Yi, Paris) is a prodigious post-2000s artist with a keen sensitivity to painting and color. From an early age, she traveled with her parents across more than 30 countries, exploring museums and cultural landmarks. She admires Monet's interplay of light and shadow, Michelangelo's celestial frescoes, and Botticelli's Venus, but her deepest love lies in traditional Chinese aesthetics. Like many young girls, 12-year-old Yi Yi delights in wearing Han Fu, playing with silk fans, and marveling at porcelain, embroidery, and handcrafted treasures.

She calls her portfolio Paris's Garden-a collection of paintings blooming like flowers in an imagined paradise. Her works have garnered numerous accolades both domestically and abroad, and a prominent artist from the Xiling Seal Society once called her a "gifted young talent."

01 Gazing Across the River of Time

Q: What inspired your piece Buddha Sighs at the Landscape? Were there any personal experiences, historical events, or cultural influences behind it?

Paris: When I visited the Dunhuang Grottoes, I saw how the Buddhas' eyes seemed to watch over the earth. Later, while sketching outdoors, I witnessed landscapes marred by pollution. It struck me-if the Buddha were watching, wouldn't he sigh at the sight? So, I decided to merge the lush scenery of A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains with the compassionate gaze of Dunhuang's frescoes, capturing the Buddha's sorrow at a wounded landscape.

Q: The imagery in your painting is powerful-the cup-like container, the Buddha in the background, the robe's colors, the clouds, the overall tone. Do these elements carry deeper meaning?

Paris: The cup filled with mountains and rivers symbolizes humanity's relentless consumption-placing nature into a vessel, transforming a gift into poison. The Buddha's golden robes, stained with rust, mirror a sacred river tainted by pollution. I used Dunhuang's earthy pigments to depict withered mountains, and blended newspaper scraps into the clouds, concealing factory chimneys within the traditional brushstrokes of A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains. The more harmonious the aesthetic, the more jarring the pollution appears.

Q: What challenges did you face while creating this piece? How did you overcome them?

Paris: Painting on silk is difficult-it wrinkles, it's slippery, and colors bleed unpredictably. My teacher introduced me to Dunhuang's overdyeing technique, allowing the translucent silk to reveal layers beneath. For the landscapes, silk absorbs pigment poorly, so I had to experiment with bone glue and alum water to fix the colors. As for pollution, acrylics wrinkled too easily, and mineral pigments peeled unpredictably. In the end, I realized that silk itself, with its natural cracks and translucency, captured the haunting effect of pollution-black stains seeping like sewage into the earth, the folds on silk echoing the creases on the Buddha's forehead.

02 Can Art Catch a Falling World?

Q: Who is your audience for this work? What message do you hope to convey?

Paris: After traveling the world, visiting landscapes and museums, I realized that traditional Chinese aesthetics resonate with me the most. I hope more people can see their beauty.

With this painting, I want to communicate with a broad audience-people my age may notice how pollution scars natural beauty, while older generations might feel the urgency of environmental protection. I hope those who once thought "environmental issues don't concern me" will gain new insight through my work.

Q: Have any responses to your work left a lasting impression?

Paris: At COP29, a Brazilian grandpa told me the Buddha's tears reminded him of the disappearing tree gods of the Amazon rainforest. That's when I realized-Dunhuang's art isn't just Chinese, it speaks to humanity's universal reverence for nature. Representing pollution through silk and the destruction of tradition is heartbreaking. If my painting sparks a conversation about environmental protection, then it has fulfilled its purpose.

Q: What are your future aspirations? Any creative directions in mind?

Paris: I want to sketch in Antarctica-but more than that, I want to paint glaciers that have not yet disappeared.

My mother calls me the "child of silk"-as delicate as a cicada's wing, yet carrying the boldest colors. I will continue using traditional aesthetics to document the ecological crisis and fight for the landscapes we are losing.

Ingrid: "The Planet We Live on Is Not Disposable"

As a student at Governor's Academy, Ingrid constantly questions the intersection of art, life, and the environment. She believes that art has the power to lighten the burden businesses place on the planet and is passionate about bridging creativity, commerce, and ecology. To that end, she organizes events like the Trash Fashion Show-a celebration of sustainability, proving that discarded materials can be transformed into stunning, meaningful designs.

01 Finding Beauty in the Discarded

Q: What inspired you to create the Trash Fashion Show?

Ingrid: I looked at my overflowing closet and saw a cycle of waste-clothes thrown away, donated, or left to rot in landfills. Every time I passed a trash bin, it was overflowing with used bottles, broken items, and outdated fashion. I thought, We live in a disposable culture, but the earth is not disposable. Why do we treat slightly worn-out things as trash?

So, I launched the Trash Fashion Show-an event that reimagines waste as art. I wanted to prove that "trash" can be transformed into something striking, that reusing and recycling isn't just responsible, but stylish. Environmentalism can be cool, and I want people to see that for themselves.

Q: How do you practice your philosophy on a daily basis? What ideas or messages do you hope to convey to the public through the Trash Fashion Show?

Ingrid: I find inspiration in discarded items-scouring garbage bins, charity stores, and yard sales for overlooked treasures. A torn shirt collar, an embroidered pocket, or even a magazine cover can all be repurposed. I strip away what's unusable and focus on the details that hold character, transforming them into something entirely new. A broken lens can become the centerpiece of a necklace; an old curtain, the perfect embellishment for a dress.

The Trash Fashion Show is about more than creativity-it's a mindset shift. It challenges us to rethink our relationship with waste, moving beyond consumption to creation. It's a reminder that what we throw away isn't necessarily worthless; instead, it might hold untapped potential waiting to be rediscovered.

Q: Do you think your campaign will make a difference in sustainable practices?

Ingrid: Sustainability has often been framed as a sacrifice-people assume that being environmentally conscious means giving up style. Through the Trash Fashion Show, I want to prove that sustainability and fashion can coexist beautifully.

I hope that participants leave inspired to take action, whether by recycling more thoughtfully, repairing instead of discarding, or even reinventing their wardrobes with a creative touch. More importantly, I want this event to spark a shift in perception-showing that sustainability isn't just responsible, but also incredibly cool. If even a handful of people start making small changes and influence those around them, then we're already making an impact.

02 Sustainability is Not an Option, But a Necessity

Q: What are your plans for your future career? Do you plan to explore other initiatives to promote social sustainability? Can you share some examples?

Ingrid: The fashion industry still has so much untapped potential, particularly in serving underrepresented communities. In the future, I'd love to merge the principles of the Trash Fashion Show with inclusive design, creating an environmentally friendly clothing line tailored to people with different physical needs.

As society becomes more attuned to diversity and sustainability, I see this as an opportunity for new brands to emerge-ones that don't just cater to trends but also address real-world issues. I want to be part of that change, designing clothing that is both eco-conscious and accessible to all.

Q: Given the rapidly changing fashion landscape and shifting consumer preferences, how do you plan to balance sustainability with trend-setting design?

Ingrid: The fashion industry is evolving-people are increasingly aware of the environmental cost of their choices. The challenge now is making sustainability not just an alternative, but the norm.

Fast fashion is cheap but highly polluting, while sustainable clothing is often expensive and inaccessible. My focus is on closing that gap-reducing costs through material innovation, raising awareness about sustainable fabrics, and fostering collaboration between designers and brands. The more we educate people about the true value of eco-friendly fashion, the more we can shift sustainability from being a luxury to a standard. Ultimately, beauty and ethics should go hand in hand.

Q: How do you see the fashion industry evolving in the next decade? What role do you envision your work playing in that transition?

Ingrid: One of my mentors once told me that the essence of fashion is constant reinvention. Looking ahead, I believe the industry must redefine its foundation, making sustainability a non-negotiable standard rather than an afterthought.

I envision a future where cutting-edge design and environmental responsibility are inseparable. My goal is to create a brand that stands out through creativity-one that seamlessly integrates fashion and sustainability. But beyond my own work, I hope to see a collective movement, where designers, consumers, and businesses come together to drive change.

The next decade could be a turning point for fashion-one where sustainability, innovation, and commerce intersect harmoniously. I want my brand to be a force in that transformation, proving that sustainability isn't just possible in fashion-it's the future.

I imagine a world where every discarded item is not waste, but a canvas-waiting for someone with vision to uncover its hidden beauty.

These two teenage artists weave an ecological fable through serigraphy and recycled plastic. Mineral pigments hold the memory of 32 layers of tundra, while discarded bottle caps form intricate mosaics, interwoven with environmental data. They take the remnants of civilization and forge them into the rivets of an ecological ark-where art becomes a form of precision surgery, reconstructing the genetic makeup of sustainability.

Through creativity, they breathe new life into what was once lost, ensuring that the story of sustainability is not just told, but lived.