Walking through an exhibition of paintings inspired by the Arctic, one piece stands out because of its unlikely placement of an object — a candle.

Candles were a constant presence during TCU art professor Adam Fung’s trip to the Arctic.

“The candles are literally releasing energy and carbon into the space,” Fung explained. “They’re in front of the glacier or sometimes even physically in the water. It became a kind of performance piece where I placed this foreign object into the landscape and kept it lit.”

Fung spent 16 days in the Arctic, a trip made possible by a TCU grant that allowed him to participate in a residency for musicians, writers and visual artists from around the world to explore the polar region.

Like many of the artists involved, Fung is deeply engaged with environmental and climate change issues. However, for him, this project transcended the boundaries of traditional art—it became a performance.

Fung said candles were a staple of the trip. He noted that within a couple of days of his arrival, his thumb was raw from repeatedly flicking a lighter to light the candles. 

“It became this act, like an act of resistance or a symbolic act,” Fung said.

The exhibition

The exhibition features 28 pieces, ranging from nine-by-six-inch copper plates to 48-by-72-inch linen canvases. Fung explained that he chose these materials because of the contrast between them.

“I found out through researching linen, it is more eco-friendly than cotton because cotton takes more water and takes longer to grow, whereas flax, which is what linen is sourced from, takes less water and regenerates faster,” Fung said.

Fung’s work is deeply rooted in environmental themes.

“Copper is a metal. It’s something that’s sourced from the ground, often in ways that negatively affect the environment, [but] I wanted to think about that starting point for the painting involving this real pure, metal extract from the earth,” Fung said. 

Through his art, Fung seeks to highlight the importance of humanity’s relationship with the environment and the impact of climate change. He hopes his work will prompt people to reflect on the question: “What can we do to make it better?”