To mark the launch of our new recycled plastic bank cards – made with 100% recycled plastic*, 64% collected from coastal communities by Parley for the Oceans™ – we collaborated with artist Swapna Namboodiri to create the ‘Aquarium of Tomorrow’, a discarded plastic-focused, public art installation in the heart of Sydney .
For multidisciplinary environmental artist Swapna Namboodiri, making art isn’t just about creating beautiful objects. It’s about connection – with people, with materials, and with the stories we often overlook.
In her practice, Swapna transforms discarded plastics into artworks that are striking and profound, always inviting a second look and deeper reflection. “Art is a mirror and a map,” she says. “I’m using these less-valued materials to narrate the story of all of these global issues – the climate, environmental and waste crises. People can connect the dots and reflect on their own relationship to these materials, and how they use and discard them. Nothing is waste until it gets wasted.”
For the ‘Aquarium of Tomorrow’, Bank Australia commissioned Swapna to create a large-scale sculpture of 17 marine creatures – including a prominent shark – all crafted from thousands of plastic items commonly found polluting the ocean, such as bottle caps, plastic bags, cans, and food wrappers. “There is so much dead plastic floating in the ocean,” Swapna says. “For a bank that already has ethical and sustainable values, I think the recycled plastic cards are a great initiative that other businesses could follow.”
With an estimated 21,000 pieces of plastic in the ocean for every person on earth, the ‘Aquarium of Tomorrow’ asks a simple question: is this the legacy we want to leave behind?
From engineer to environmental artist
Swapna has always loved making things. “I’ve been creative since I was a child,” she says. “But I’m trained as an engineer.”
Her journey with plastic began in 2015, when she started exploring the material out of curiosity. “I wanted to see how it worked – how to cut it and use it creatively,” she says. In 2018, after she’d begun taking her art practice more seriously, something shifted. “I became really conscious of the materials I was using,” she says. “Where I was sourcing them from. How much I was consuming. I realised people weren’t just engaging with the beauty of the work – they were connecting with the story behind it.”
Since then, Swapna has built a global body of work using upcycled consumer waste. Highlights include building a 7x4-metre installation in Doha using 10,000 PET bottles, and a floral sculpture made from 1,000 single-use carry bags for the FIFA World Cup. In 2023, she relocated from Doha to Adelaide, continuing her practice in her new home.
Transforming plastic waste into something beautiful
Plastic is everywhere. It can be useful, accessible and incredibly long-lasting – and that’s why Swapna believes used plastic should be treated with more care.
“We can’t even imagine how much plastic is produced every minute,” she says. “And most of it is stuck outside of a natural cycle. It’s produced, used and thrown away. It’s been villainised and yet we rely on it every day. So why not look at it differently? Why not give it a second life, extend its lifespan, and reduce how much we’re creating in the first place?”
Swapna’s practice is centred on this idea of transformation. “The beauty of using discarded plastic is that it already comes with a story,” she says. “All the plastic has spent its life in some other form. I try to reimagine it, give it another life, and challenge people’s perception of the material.”
Creating each work is a time-consuming process. Swapna collects plastics from her local community, marine debris from the coast and materials from recycling centers, then cuts and stacks the material. Sometimes she stains the plastic for colour, but she never uses heat to reshape it.
“Everything is done with pliers or bare hands,” she says. “I use techniques like hand-stitching and riveting to stack and layer the materials. I’m always inspired by the textures of the natural world around us, especially coral reefs.”
Raising awareness to change behaviour
Swapna believes the first step to reducing our reliance on virgin plastic is awareness. And for many people, that starts at home.
“When I ask people to collect their plastic waste for me for just a month, they’re shocked,” she says. “They suddenly realise how much they’re using, and that moment excites me. When people realise their consumption habits, those habits can shift.”
It’s a testament to the power of the small actions everyone can take to make a difference. “I’m just one person creating artworks,” she says. “But if I can reach even 10 people, that becomes a collective effort and can lead to a larger impact. That, to me, is the power of combining art and sustainability. When they work together they can send a message and help people think differently.”
Through her art, Swapna blends all of the things she cares about: creativity, beauty, her skills as an engineer and her environmental advocacy. “I'm so passionate about what I'm doing,” she says. “I love experimenting and combining that problem-solving in creative work.”
And ultimately, that’s what the ‘Aquarium of Tomorrow’ is all about.
“It’s such an honor to be part of such a brilliant project, which is so closely in line with my practice,” Swapna says. “I would love to see people passing by or just taking a pause there and reflecting on their own consumption of plastics.”
Want to see more of Swapna’s work and process? Follow her on Instagram @swapna_namboodiri for behind-the-scenes looks at her plastic transformations and upcoming projects.
Ready to ditch virgin plastic? Learn more about our new recycled plastic bank cards.
*Some functional components including the chip, hologram and magnetic strip cannot be sourced as recycled plastic.
