Proletariat

My work in homage to those whom without, the modern world as we know it now, would not be a

world. I choose to use lamps because they represent light, hope, and future. When we see the future we

see children. Yet these destructed lamps tell the story of exploited Congolese children miners, who

extract cobalt and coltan, minerals which are found in all of modern day technologies, such as cell

phones, lap tops, and cars. Almost 80% of the world’s coltan, and 60% of cobalt is extracted from

Congo by these children. Yet, they are trampled overlooked, abused and forgotten by the world. For

them their future seems bleak and hopeless. I wanted to use metal materials to portray the difficult

conditions of the child laborers who are assimilated to the lowest levels of society and are worried,

lonely, and malnourished. By compressing the material, I am conveying children who through their

daily efforts to obtain basic provisions for themselves and loved ones are sufferers of oppression.