Untitled by Salman Khoshroo: Reflections on How Waste and Debris Have Shaped Humanity
Iran-born artist Salman Khoshroo is known for his innovative abstract portraits of unidentifiable people made with unconventional colours and materials. In early 2022, he created an untitled bust in his signature style, entirely out of debris, waste and trash he had found around the Goldsmiths Art Studios in Deptford where he studied for his MFA.
Staying true to his oeuvre, this bust is devoid of all identity markers. It has no facial features or skin colour. By doing so, Khoshroo has created a portrait of a person who can represent humanity. When assessing the materials of the bust, the piece begs the question, “Has humanity as a whole generated enough waste and debris to the point where it can be recognized as its trash?” This is why the untitled bust from 2022 is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Responsible Consumption and Production.
A World Bank report has found that the world generates up to 2 billion tonnes of waste annually. Unless urgent action is taken today, this is expected to grow by 70 percent in 2050. Even before worrying about 2050, the world’s waste today is already responsible for 20 percent of the emissions directly generated by human beings. This 20 percent, which becomes methane, is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to increasing the speed of global warming. Therefore, pieces such as the untitled bust by Salman Khoshroo are imperative to raise people’s awareness of the world’s urgent need for proper waste management.
Salman Khoshroo’s untitled 2022 bust, made entirely of debris and waste, is a hauntingly powerful reflection of humanity’s growing environmental footprint. By using discarded materials to create a faceless, identity-free portrait of humankind, Khoshroo challenges viewers to confront how waste and debris have become defining elements of modern human life. With global waste generation projected to rise significantly and its harmful effects on the planet already evident, Khoshroo’s art serves as a call to action, urging everyone to rethink their relationship with consumption and the environment.
Find out more about Untitled and other pieces by Salman Khoshroo on his website www.salmankhoshroo.com or Instagram @salmankhoshroo.