Plastic Wave: Reimagined Growth
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🌊 Project Overview
Plastic Wave: Reimagined Growth is a site-specific environmental installation by Jentokartworks that transforms one-time-use plastic waste into a symbolic and living ecosystem. Taking the form of a crashing wave, the installation is constructed from wire mesh, discarded plastic packaging, and pockets of microgreens growing in upcycled planters. The work highlights the scale of plastic pollution while offering a hopeful narrative of renewal, demonstrating nature’s resilience even within synthetic environments.
Rooted in the artist’s desire to shift from passive commentary to active engagement, the project integrates sustainability, education, and collective action. Through hands-on workshops, NAFA students were invited to create their own microgreen planters—contributing one to the installation and keeping one as a personal reminder of growth and responsibility. A QR code placed beneath the artwork links viewers to a digital resource hub, including the artist’s creative process journal, microgreen care guides, and environmental education materials.
Plastic Wave: Reimagined Growth stands as both a visual statement and an interactive experience—inviting viewers to reflect on consumption, sustainability, and the transformative potential of art.
Creative Process & Challenges
The installation of Plastic Wave: Reimagined Growth by Jentokartworks involved transforming collected one-time-use plastics into a wave-like structure filled with live microgreens. Constructed using wire mesh and layered plastic packaging, the piece required careful planning to achieve visual impact, structural stability, and integration of living elements.
One key challenge was ensuring the wave structure remained lightweight yet secure enough to support the added weight of plastic and soil-filled planters. The artist tested various attachment methods, including wire, zip ties, and adhesives, before choosing hot glue, which provided the most flexibility and grip on uneven plastic surfaces.
Another significant challenge arose with the microgreens. While they were meant to grow within the installation, the exhibition space lacked the ideal conditions—limited airflow, inconsistent sunlight, and no daily access for care. To address this, the artist brought the planters home for regular watering, monitoring, and sunlight exposure to ensure healthy growth by the exhibition date.
During the interactive workshops, some students experienced difficulty with germination when taking their planters home. In response, the artist provided extra seeds, peat moss kits, and simplified instructions to help participants try again and understand the process better. This experience reinforced the project’s themes of learning, growth, and resilience.
Finally, a laminated QR code was placed just below the artwork’s statement to connect visitors to an extended digital experience. This included the artist’s creative process journal, planting guides, and sustainability resources.
Despite the technical, spatial, and plant-care challenges, the installation successfully blended environmental storytelling with community participation—turning plastic waste into a space for renewal, reflection, and growth.
Grow Hope Microgreens Planters Workshop
The Grow Hope workshop was designed as a hands-on, student-led sustainability activity accompanying the Plastic Wave: Reimagined Growth installation. The methodology focused on combining art, environmental education, and upcycling practice in a compact, engaging format.
✦ Approach
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Experiential Learning: Participants learned by doing — transforming plastic waste into functioning planters using simple tools and guided steps.
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Two-Part Output: Each participant created two planters — one to take home (personal growth) and one to contribute to the installation (community support).
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Embedded Reflection: Participants wrote a short message or dedication attached to their planter, encouraging emotional engagement and ownership.
✦ Process Flow
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Introduction & Contextual Briefing
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Introduction to the Plastic Wave installation’s theme
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Microgreens as symbols of growth and sustainability
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Discussion of plastic waste and single-use consumption
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Demonstration
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Step-by-step guide to creating a self-watering planter using upcycled plastic containers
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Introduction to the growing medium, seed placement, and watering method
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Hands-On Creation
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Participants crafted their planters with provided materials
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Decoration with messages, tags, and ribbons encouraged creative expression
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Interactive Participation
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One planter added to the installation as a shared act of hope
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One planter brought home to foster long-term personal engagement
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✦ Outcome
This workshop served as a bridge between art installation and environmental action, encouraging students to see sustainability not just as a concept, but as a creative and personal practice.
Nature Wellness Workshops
My Reflection
Working on Plastic Wave: Reimagined Growth has been a deeply meaningful journey for me — both as an artist and as someone who cares deeply about sustainability and creative education. What began as a material exploration with plastic waste quickly evolved into something more powerful: a platform for awareness, collaboration, and hope.
One of the biggest challenges was caring for the microgreens within a site-specific installation. The Skylight Studio wasn’t ideal for live plant growth due to airflow and access limitations, so I decided to take the microgreens home and nurture them daily. This process reminded me that growth takes time, care, and patience — a lesson that applies to both plants and people.
Another rewarding yet challenging moment came during the workshop sessions. Some participants faced issues with germination. Rather than seeing this as a setback, I took it as an opportunity to support their learning by providing extra seeds and peat moss kits, and simplifying the instructions with visuals and guidance. Watching them try again made me realize how much this project was also about resilience and shared learning.
Through this installation, I’ve learned how to turn environmental concern into visual impact, and how to blend artistic expression with real-world action. The integration of a QR code extended the project beyond the gallery — allowing others to explore my process, workshop resources, and sustainability tools. It was a small step in making art more accessible, interactive, and long-lasting.
This project has affirmed my belief that art can be more than something to look at — it can invite participation, spark reflection, and inspire change. Plastic Wave: Reimagined Growth is not just about recycling plastics; it’s about reimagining how we live, how we create, and how we care