The World is Yours

The World is Yours imagines what Christ the Redeemer in Rio will look like in thirty years after MMO has been used to curb carbon emissions. Notably, the viewer is not permitted the most famous, front-facing view of the statue. Instead, Sharma renders the scene from behind, from the perspective of the statue itself: Jesus surveying civilization as it has been transformed by global warming and also as it heals. In this way, Sharma hopes to foster a dialogue about change as it might play out between creator and child.

Sharma’s choice of colors in The World is Yours mimics a dialogue with disparate ends of the spectrum, as it radiates from cool blues on the left of the painting, transforming gradually to warm, fiery reds on the right. The painting’s gradient color scheme–from cool blues on the left to warm, fiery reds on the right–symbolizes an ever-increasing heat. The flames build from the left until they take over the lower right corner of the frame, conveying a sense of urgency as our planet nears the two degree point of no return.

As flames ravage the landscape a single tree of knowledge remains. positioned between sun and it offers gift survival questions who or what will survive why. also speaks to simple fact that although humankind has immense scientific some challenge it. statue jesus opposite suggests perhaps religion spirituality play role in humans while cow center painting symbolizes science well.

The World is Yours explicitly places ownership future planet squarely with the viewer, and with all humans.

The World is Yours
Acrylic and methane monooxygenase on canvas
Size: 60 inch x 96 inch