The Last Human

CHENNAI: All that will remain on the planet for ‘The Last Human’ are remnants left behind by humans who lived. This upcycled artwork of The Last Human, envisaged by Arjun P, a freelance artist, gives purpose to objects that are no longer in use for a new lease of life.

“As a begetter of art, I wanted to display a new piece for an exhibition that I was a part of, but with scraps. I have used nails, bulbs, fidget spinners, dismantled headphones, torch cases, wooden forks, shells, and a wooden board as a base for an abstract face like structure, to produce the upcycled piece,” Arjun states.

The Last Human urges people to hanker before throwing away an old object, which can find a new home in the form of art. He is the only one left, with none other left to ideate the production of new objects. The pieces he uses are the ones already used by ones who existed, irrespective of caste or religion, which is now redundant.

All that man has left for the unnamed last human on earth is their flawed lifestyle that did not ween on recycling, for a better tomorrow. The only companion it will have is nature, the sky, soil and water. Arjun has used the rustic almond brown hue of the soil for the face and the body, with the background representing the topaz sky and clear water.

“Each object in the upcycling art has a different colour, texture and shape. In the future, I plan to include electronic wastes in my art pieces. The compelling aspect of using e-waste is that one gets to dismantle it and find interesting shapes, colour combinations and textures in printed circuit boards and wires. Throwing them away affects the fertile soil, which can be upcycled into beautiful pieces of craft,” the artist highlights.

Having earned a degree in engineering, Arjun feels content and present whenever he wallows in art, adding, “The process of making an artwork, especially the ones that take more time and dedication, helps me evolve as an artist along with it. The work introduces me to myself where I discover my unbound love for my craft.”

Practicing the art of mixed media painting, the artwork gives him the freedom to experiment and explore without boundaries, intensifying the process of creating art, more exhilarating.

“Mixed media involves using more than one medium to create an object of art. Without developing an attachment to the end product, I just enjoy the process of experimenting. There is always the thrill of waiting for an output which is unexpected, when we experiment with different mediums and objects,” he explains.

Without a set process pre-planned in mind, the freelance artist chooses the subject, sketching a base outline, then the process that follows is almost abstract. “The colours or medium I choose varies as the artwork evolves. I mostly use sketches, crayons, oil pastels, watercolors and acrylic paint. When these diverse mediums are used in different combinations, it help in enhancing the outcome of the work beautifully,” Arjun explicates.