Calender #PlasticSushi by Marisa Papen for a good cause

Working together with international photographers our Good Girl Marisa Papen presents a beautiful calender to call attention to an actual issue. The majority of the proceeds will be donated to charity organizations.

#PlasticSushi revolves around the pollution of our seas. Through her work and travels Marisa decided to call attention to a specific problem. One of the charity organizations that Marisa Papen is supporting is called Mission Blue, an initative by Sylvia Earle Alliance (S.E.A.). Mission Blue focuses on protecting so called Hope Spots which are essential for the health of our planet’s blue heart.

9 countries, 9 photographers

Working on the almost surreal seeming pictures Marisa Papen has travelled to 9 countries in total. In each country she has been working with a different photographer. The pictures of the calender which is limited to 5000 pieces only, are printed on recycled paper and subtly indicate the problem of the seas’ pollution. Buyers benefit in two ways: They get to hang one of these beautiful limited calenders on their wall while simultaneously supporting a good cause and helping our environment.

At the beginning of 2016 I decided that one of my projects this year would be to create a Calendar. 12 beautiful, sensual images in a dreamy set-up…

This idea soon became less appealing, somehow it just seemed too easy… One afternoon of shooting with a great photographer and it would be a wrap. Selling it for 50bucks – Cha-ching!! (If a few thousand people would find it word spending their money on of course;) ) I wanted a project that would take over my mind. Something that would inspire me. Something where my creativity could flow lavishly and where I’d have the opportunity to collaborate with different artists from all around the world. But most importantly, something for a good cause.

Since I’ve always been very drawn to the Ocean and the Ocean has been giving me so much life, love and energy, I decided I wanted to create awareness about what I’ve seen the last couple of years…

The plastic-problem so called… A simple walk on any beach, anywhere, and the plastic waste spectacle is present. Even the most utopian places are not immune anymore.

We’ve been touching nature with reckless force and soon we have to pay the price. All sea animals, from the biggest to the microscopic organisms are breathing toxic seawater infused with chemicals from plastic decomposition. Since we, as humans, eat fish that have eaten other fish, which have eaten toxin-saturated plastics, we are eating our own waste…

You’d ask yourself, how senseless could we be?
Poisoning ourselves… Poisoning other animals… Poisoning the world… Things have got to change. Right now.

By buying this Calendar you will save the Ocean a little bit. A fair amount goes to Mission Blue, an initiative of the Sylvia Earle Alliance (S.E.A.) to ignite public support for the protection of Hope Spots—special places that are vital to the health of the ocean, the blue heart of our planet. As I assumed people didn’t want to put a picture of a bleeding entangled sea lion, turtle or dolphin on their wall… I tried to show some of the issues in a ‘subtle’, sometimes surreal way. I hope I somehow succeeded in this :)…

Love, Marisa

The depicted pictures solely are outtakes and behind-the-scene pictures. Support Marisa Papen’s project and help her helping our seas. The calender can be bought here: Plastic-Sushi