Plastic and Happiness by Lukas Kroulik

The Photography Group Show, 26th September - 15th October 2023

Chelsea Arts Club, London

I am passionate about climate change. But I am concerned that so many activists become so negative in their approach, always hectoring and condemning and I want to bring beauty into the argument.

That is why I am delighted to share some of my inspiration in a specially curated photography show this autumn at the Chelsea Arts Club where I am an artist member.

This includes two photographs from my series of sustainability and climate change art.

The images feature the beauty of plastic sparingly used alongside plastic waste due for recycling. Here is an optimistic response to plastic pollution, awakening the realisation that we all can participate and make lifestyle changes which will have an impact on our imperilled world.

The images were printed in London in Printspace, the UK’s first Fine Art & Photo printing service that is completely carbon neutral and are presented in my own frame design, handmade in London out of recycled plastic collected on the streets of Soho.

Lukas Kroulik and his photograph "Plastic Happiness".

The photographs were taken in Bhutan in 2022, where I was moved by the Bhutanese people, their lifestyle and commitment to both happiness and sustainability.

Ever since, I have been looking for opportunities to collaborate and share awareness about Climate Change through art and everyday activities - to demonstrate how creating and keeping new habits can have a great impact on places, spaces and communities that will benefit and inspire others. As well as stopping destructive behaviour we want to feel good about ourselves too.

The Bhutanese ideal of gross national happiness - rather than gross national product (GNP) leads immediately to concern for climate change. Here I was ever so lucky to be given insights from a great new Bhutanese friend. This is Tashi, who took part in the international snowman trail race in September 2022, organised by HM The King to add a new voice to the demands for action on climate risk, as the trail marked the retreat of the snowfields.

In Bhutan, all the people wear a badge of HM The King and HM The Queen to show their appreciation (as one can see on Tashi in the video interview above) so I designed an eco badge from my photograph for visitors to this special photo exhibition.

Badge made out of Lukas Kroulik's original photograph from his expedition 2022 in Bhutan, an inspiring country in its commitment to happiness, sustainability and climate change awareness and action.

Lukas Kroulik's photograph "Transformation" a pile of collected plastic after the Snowman Race as a colour negative to demonstrate the positive outcome of recycling.

Here is an example from my collaboration with James Suckling from @areyoumad.co, creating picture frames are made of recycled plastic waste collected from businesses in Soho and made into these beautiful marble-like structures. They are sleek, modern, contemporary cutting edge frames for my photographs and other artworks focused on specific areas of recycling, slow fashion, upcycling, reinventing and creating sustainable materials out of plastic as well as other forms of waste - and making these into beautiful and unique art forms or products.

Step by step - the journey of my frames: from the street waste, to the game changing education recycling space in Soho London, onto my dinner table for assembly and finally on the walls of the Chelsea Arts Club and for sale alongside other photographers who like me belong to the club.

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Related Blog posts and newspaper articles:

Exploring Happiness in Bhutan

Snowman Race Bhutan 2022

Redemption

Lukas Kroulik's Transformation

The Guardian - Happiness

Lukas Kroulik, Jeanne Mascolo de Filippis, Dominic Houlder & Jérôme-Cécil Auffret, Bhutan 2022 (L-R).

In Bhutan I met and spoke to the world’s happiest man, the monk Matthieu Ricard, and he shared with us his secrets of a serene, successful and satisfying life.

Fast Eco Luxury - The Berkeley Dress Show 2023

1st September 2023, Harrods

As an artist and creative director focusing on the aesthetics of sustainability I was given an unique opportunity to highlight how quality designer clothes can be good for the environment and showcase the way we can challenge fast fashion while looking chic, sophisticated and stylish.

MY WARDROBE HQ is the UK’s first fashion rental marketplace which provides you with the best designer contemporary and luxury womenswear fashion such as Stella McCartney.

I styled the Berkeley Dress Show debutantes in specially selected designer gowns from MY WARDROBE HQ and rented John Boyd hats made in London by milliner Sarah Marshall.

Harrods offered its private client service suites where I was able to style each model to reflect her personality and style.

Debutantes styled by Lukas Kroulik in rental designer clothes and hats in front of Harrods.

I discovered Build Your Dreams (BYD) electric Cars which are overtaking Tesla for travelling in style and comfort while slashing the carbon footprint.

The BYD team drove the debutantes from Harrods to the Café Royal and back. These Cars had plenty of room for spacious rented dresses and hats.

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Café Royal

President Stella Li and Alice Wang, BYD Cars, in front of the Café Royal.

I was delighted to lend my skills in styling, coaching and producing this iconic and now diverse British event.

The Berkeley Dress Show 2023 produced by Lukas Kroulik.

Chelsea Arts Club Summer Exhibition

Welcome to the Chelsea Arts Club Summer Show 2023!

My image was selected from 1000 entries: visitors can see 180 selected artworks on the walls of this legendary building.

My sustainability and climate change awareness art, titled CARBON, is a double portrait of an evergreen oak leaf (not-evergreen=climate-change-factor) which I found on the way to the Tiger's Nest in Bhutan in 2022. It is for sale alongside other works by renowned contemporary artists who like me are members of the club.

It is one of three artworks from my sustainability and climate change awareness art series inspired by my expedition to the Himalayas and the Snowman Race.

CARBON is a double portrait of an evergreen oak leaf in a recycled plastic frame.

I was thrilled to invite my family, friends, clients, art lovers and collectors to this members’ club founded in 1890.

'CARBON' by Lukas Kroulik - Chelsea Arts Club Summer Exhibition 2023.

Zen Aqeel, Hon. Alexandra Shackleton, Lukas Kroulik and Anna-Maria (L-R).

I wanted to take my insights beyond an art show into friends homes and onto the street, and created this prototype bag under my personal LK brand from the original artwork. This is a bag for life in the fullest sense as it can take in hats, shoes, jumpers, umbrellas, food and much more. And it was made locally, through an entrepreneurial start-up here in London.

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I co-designed my unique photo frames with https://www.areyoumad.co/ made in London out of the plastic waste collected from the streets of Soho.

CARBON NEUTRALITY

I have been printing all of my photographs at the Print Space since 2008 and this photograph titled CARBON (positive and negative of a found evergreen oak leaf in Bhutan in 2022) was professionally printed by them.

An end to end carbon neutral service theprintspace is the UK’s first Fine Art & Photo printing service that is completely carbon neutral.

Trees fight climate change - they are not just sources of food, medicines and materials. The carbon-locking qualities of trees and woods are crucial in the fight against climate change.

In this project I wanted to draw on my passions and build on my personal experiences.

Planting and looking after the trees locks carbon and this is something what I celebrate in my uplifting work.

My work also demonstrates that we can create beautiful and useful things out of recycled materials collected by people in between jobs and volunteers who are looking for some new purpose and help to keep our streets and surroundings clean.