Full artwork title:

Plume 25 (smoke sorted by colour and then chronologically): Smoke from burning property during ‘Euromaidan’ protests, Kyiv, Ukraine, 22 January 2014 (Black [B] with rain); Smoke from burning property during ‘Euromaidan’ protests, Kyiv, Ukraine, 21 February 2014 (B); Smoke from burning tires at a Palestinian protest, Gaza, Palestinian Territories, 14 May 2018 (B); Smoke from burning property during an anti-government protest, Nasiriyah, Iraq, 29 November 2020 (B); Flare smoke during a roadblock protest against the suspended construction of new (already invested) homes, Kyiv, Ukraine, 30 November 2020 (B); Flare smoke and smoke from a burning property, during a pro-social rights and anti-government protest, against new security law limiting the filming and photographing of on duty police, Marseille, France, 5 December 2020 (B); Smoke and flames from burning government building offices during a protest against salary delays, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, 7 December 2020 (B); Smoke bomb during an anti-government protest against new security laws limiting the filming and photographing of on duty police. The protesters also advocated for the reopening of cultural places during COVID-19, Nantes, France, 15 December 2020 (B); Smoke pot used during pro-independence protest against COVID-19 measures Barcelona, Spain, 19 December 2020 (B); Smoke from burning tires during Palestinian protest against the expansion of Israeli settlements, West Bank, Palestinian Territories, 25 December 2020 (B); Smoke during a protest against the imprisonment of Pablo Hasel (a rapper) for insulting the crown, Barcelona, Spain, 18 February 2021 (B); Smoke bomb used by student protester against the imprisonment of Pablo Hasel (a rapper) for insulting the crown, Barcelona, Spain, 19 February 2021 (B); Smoke from property on fire during a protest against the government lead tribunal charging protesters with terror and theft offenses (related to events that happened one month previously), Lebanon, Beirut, 24 February 2021 (B); Smoke during a protest demanding the jail release of Serhiy Sternenko (right-wing activist from ‘Right Sector’), Kyiv, Ukraine, 27 February 2021 (B); Smoke from burning tires during a roadblock protest against electrical blackouts, Beirut, Lebanon, 28 February 2021 (B); Smoke from burning tires during an anti-government and economic crisis protest Beirut, Lebanon, 8 March 2021 (B); Smoke from burning tires during a roadblock protest against government lead economic crisis, Beirut, Lebanon, 9 March 2021 (B); Smoke from burning tires during a protest against the massive increase of gasoline prices, Lebanon, Beirut, 20 October 2021 (B); Flare smoke during a protest against new COVID-19 measures, Utrecht, Netherlands, 4 December 2021 (B); Smoke from burning tires during a protest against rising cost of living and tax increases, Nairobi, Kenya, 21 July 2023 (B); Smoke from burning tires during clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli Soldiers, Gaza, Palestinian Territories, 15 September 2023 (B); Smoke from burning tires during a protest against government proposed budget and taxes, Beirut, Lebanon, 17 October 2020 (Black / Orange[BO]); Smoke during a Muslim protest against religious leaders who committed religious blasphemy against Islam, Medan, Indonesia, 20 November 2020 (BO); Smoke from burning tires during a clash between Iraqi anti-government protesters and supporters of firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, Nasiriyah, Iraq, 27 November 2020 (BO); Flare smoke and smoke from a burning car being extinguished during an anti-government protest against new security law limiting the filming and photographing of on duty police, Paris, France, 28 November 2020 (BO); Flare smoke and smoke from a burning property during an anti-government protest against new security law limiting the filming and photographing of on duty police, Paris, France, 28 November 2020 (BO); Smoke and flames from burning government building offices during a protest against salary delays, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, 7 December 2020 (BO); Flare smoke during a protest against the government imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Moscow, Russia, 23 January 2021(BO); Smoke from burning garbage cans during a protest against the imprisonment of Pablo Hasel (a rapper) for insulting the crown, Barcelona, Spain, 18 February 2021 (BO); Smoke from burning tires during a roadblock protest against government related social and economic downfall, Beirut, Lebanon, 8 March 2021 (BO); Smoke from burning property during Euromaidan protests, Kyiv, Ukraine, 19 February 2014 (Grey [Gr]); Smoke from air strike during clash between the Syrian Democratic Forces and Islamic State militants, Raqqa, Syria, 15 August 2017 (Gr); Tear gas canister from federal officers during a ‘Black Lives Matter’ protest, Portland Oregon, 29 May 2020 (Gr); Smoke from Molotov cocktail thrown at police by a protester against the wrongful killing of George Floyd, Denver, Colorado, 30 May 2020 (Gr); Smoke during Palestinian protest against the expansion of settlements, West Bank, Palestinian Territories, 20 November 2020 (Gr); Smoke during a left-wing protest against the eviction of 'Nuovo Cinema Palazzo'‘ community center, Rome, Italy, 25 November 2020 (Gr); Tear gas and smoke bombs during anti-government protests, Santiago, Chile, 27 November 2020 (Gr); Flare smoke and smoke from a burning car being extinguished during an anti-government protest against new security law limiting the filming and photographing of on duty police, Paris, France, 28 November 2020 (Gr); Smoke pots used by pro-Catalan protesters against COVID-19 restrictions causing social crisis, Barcelona, Spain, 19 December 2020 (Gr); Smoke from rockets launched by Palestinian armed group marking the anniversary of conflict with Israel (since 2008), Gaza Strip, Palestinian Territories, 29 December 2020 (Gr); Smoke from flash-bang-grenades used by police against right-wing protesters. The protesters were against COVID-19 restrictions, Salem, Oregon, 1 January 2021 (Gr); Smoke from property on fire during a protest against the government lead tribunal charging protesters with terror and theft offenses (related to events that happened one month previously), Lebanon, Beirut, 24 February 2021 (Gr); Smoke from burning tires during a roadblock protest against government related social and economic downfall, Beirut, Lebanon, 8 March 2021 (Gr); Smoke during protests against the military coup and the subsequent detention of government members, Yangon, Myanmar, 14 March 2021 (Gr) and Flare smoke during a protest advocating for the release of activist Sergey Sternenko, Kyiv, Ukraine, 27 February 2021 (R).

The Plume series (2019–ongoing) comprises collages made from hand-cut photographs of smoke generated by flares, fires and deterrents used in global protests found online. Each image has been printed, hand-cut and affixed in various formations. This artwork’s title (above) is a multi-page record detailing each constituent image and the associated protest, location and date, gathering disparate historical moments into a partial yet sweeping account of global unrest.

People have commented that these smokescapes appear to be representing a climate crisis event, but they are collages of human-made smoke used for the purpose of making a visual statement or to disrupt a collective gathering. They function as warning signs of past, present and future discontent, sometimes with the hope of change.