evan • 17 • Dublin

16-18 Category   •  2026
When I saw the theme of “This is Nature”, my mind was brought back to a photograph that my brother had taken of me leaving a public restroom in Copenhagen on the day he was getting married. The initial thought was a play on the phrase “nature’s call”, which lined up nicely with the theme and the picture. Also, I thought it was really funny. As I started working on the painting, I used colours I felt aligned with elements of nature (blues, yellows, greens) inside the “pissoir”, and I began to think about the relationship between cities and bodily functions. Often cities are designed with commercial activity and financial prospects in mind. Humans are considered as economic units rather than, well, humans. As industrialisation impedes on nature, I wonder if city planners consider basic human requirements. The fact is that we still need to eat, we still need to have breathable air, and we still need to use the bathroom. How can we as people thrive in ever-expanding cities when nature is disregarded? This revelation feels especially pertinent to me. Living on the outskirts of Dublin City, I have seen it develop as a glorified shopping centre littered with empty office spaces and unfinished projects that will likely never see completion. A place for passing through rather than living in. With the lack of green spaces, trees, and the encroachment on biodiversity our connection to nature diminishes each year. Industrialisation impedes on nature- impedes on humanity. This was painted with gouache and watercolour on canvas.