Calling Out In the Dark

Arkiv Vilmansa is based in Bandung, Indonesia, where he received formal training as an architect and graphic designer. Initially gaining international recognition with his vinyl toys, Vilmansa then began painting with acrylic on canvas that have now become his main media. Since 2008, Vilmansa has consistently exhibited his works in group and solo shows, receiving critical acclaim from the global art world. Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry. Depending on how much the paint is diluted (with water) or modified with acrylic gels, media, or pastes, the finished acrylic painting can resemble a watercolor or an oil painting, or have its own unique characteristics not attainable with other media. In the spirit of ocean conservation the international non-profit organization, PangeaSeed, is ramping up its 2012 summer activities in the United States with a west coast art exhibition tour. Tailored to address one the biggest threats facing the health of world's oceans today, the rapid mass depletion of sharks, PangeaSeed aims to expand the public’s knowledge of the inhumane practice of shark finning and its deep impact on the health of our oceans. In the cruel process of shark finning, primarily practiced in Asia but also in other parts of the world, sharks are killed solely for their fins to satisfy an unsustainable appetite for shark fin soup. The shark is hooked and brought aboard the boat where its fins are then cut off and the still alive but limbless animal is tossed back into the sea to drown. With each minute that passes close to 200 sharks are killed, adding up to an astonishing 73 million deaths each year. Scientists estimate that global fish stocks will be in full collapse by 2048 if current consumption and destructive fishing practices continue. But even more shocking is the concern that the majority of the ocean’s shark species could be extinct