Iranian conceptual and found materials artist, Hamidreza Barkhordari has created a series of sculptures made from swathes of old denim shaped into animals such as monkeys, chimpanzees and even household pets such as cats and dogs. By drawing a connection between denim and animals, Barkhordari asks his viewers to consider how the denim industry has affected animal life.
Despite being one of the most widely used fabrics on the planet, the denim industry has been known for its contributions to environmental degradation, reaching numbers higher than that of other fabric production. This includes outrageous water usage, gargantuan energy consumption and hard-to-treat chemical pollution. Hence, by transforming old denim into wildlife sculptures, Barkhordari’s pieces call for concrete changes in how denim is made, all so that they can help support the wildlife he has depicted. This is why the denim animal sculptures by Hamidreza Barkhordari are relevant to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Life on Land and Responsible Consumption and Production.
The most perverse way that denim production affects the environment is through its use of indigo dye, which gives the fabric its signature blue hue. Whether natural or synthetic, indigo does not dissolve in water and must be treated with harsh chemicals to bind with cloth. The global denim industry uses about 50,000 tons of synthetic indigo dye annually, with 84,000 tons of sodium hydrosulfite as a reducing agent. These chemicals are poisonous and carcinogenic for factory workers. On top of that, if its highly alkaline and corrosive waste water finds its way into nearby waterways, it can completely decimate local ecosystems that depend on them, with severe cases causing whole rivers to be dyed blue.
Hamidreza Barkhordari’s denim animal sculptures serve as striking commentary on the denim industry's environmental impact. Using repurposed denim to create lifelike animals, he highlights the consequences of unsustainable production practices, from excessive water and energy use to harmful chemical pollution. These sculptures urge viewers to consider denim's hidden costs on ecosystems and advocate for a more sustainable approach to textile production. Barkhordari’s work advocates for industry reform to protect the very wildlife he so carefully depicts.
Find out more about denim animal sculptures and other pieces by Hamidreza Barkhordari on his Facebook Hamidrezabarkhordarirecycle or Instagram @hamidreza.barkhordari.