Women in Cleantech & Sustainability

Event Detail

Art as Activism: An Evening with Benjamin von Wong

Date: September 25, 2025

Time: 6:30 pm - 9 pm ET

Location: Flatiron, New York, NY

Ticket price:

$15 for WCS Members
$30 for Non-Members
Interested in becoming a member? Please learn more and apply here

During Climate Week NYC, Women in Cleantech and Sustainability NYC will host internationally renowned environmental artist Benjamin von Wong. Benjamin von Wong is a viral creative focused on telling epic stories through his surreal photography and videography experiences.

In this conversation, von Wong will share his journey from engineer to artist, the stories behind his most impactful projects, and his perspective on how art can influence awareness, policy, and action. Together, we’ll explore how creativity and storytelling can be powerful tools for advancing climate advocacy and inspiring meaningful change.

Topics include: Climate activism, plastic pollution, art in climate activism, biodiversity loss, and environmental justice.

Special Guest:

Benjamin von Wong

Benjamin von Wong is known for his large-scale, hyper-real installations that transform waste into striking symbols of climate action, von Wong has created iconic works, including the Guinness World Record–setting “Strawpocalypse,” the Giant Plastic Tap (#TurnOffThePlasticTap), and the powerful “Thinker’s Burden” sculpture. His art has been showcased at the United Nations, COP negotiations, and Art Basel, sparking global conversations about plastic pollution, biodiversity loss, and environmental justice. Take a look at his work at this link.

Featuring Local Artists:

Kaixi Yang

Kaixi (pronounced Kai-shee) Yang is an emerging artist and climate activist from Auckland, New Zealand, based in Brooklyn, New York. Her multidimensional approach spans diverse mediums, from abstract calligraphy and installation to performance art, digital and physical fashion, and climate intervention projects. She is a co-founder of TALKING ANIMALS, a community for climate hackers, ENTITY, a design consultancy for the health of people & planet, and NOT BAD LAB, a policy and venture lab.

Kaixi’s artistic practice is one borne from her lived experience of negotiating life force, informed by dual familial influences of Eastern philosophy and Western medical sciences, which aim to move energy and heal. Through the contexts of retail, product design studies at Stanford, and in leading her design practice, Kaixi has expanded her mastery of mediums to hypothesize and realize tools that regulate and channel living energy in line with the urgent public health crisis posed by the present climate collapse.

Laraib Ali

Laraib Ali is a Bahraini land steward, designer and material researcher with a multifaceted love for spatial design, and the intersection of health and education based on Lenape Lands (NYC). Her background as a farmer and herbalist deeply inform her approach to design and craftmaking. Drawing inspiration from indigenous resourcefulness, communal care and land practices, her work emphasizes ephemerality and the importance of the built environment adapting to and reflecting the needs of residents and the surrounding natural environment. With a focus on waste regeneration and material life cycles, her work incorporates a variety of materials, including ceramics, textiles, biomaterials, and wood. Constantly experimenting with ways to weave ephemerality and resourcefulness into design. She is dedicated to creating spaces that enhance the well-being of those who inhabit them.

Samantha Taylor

Samantha Taylor is the artist and founder of Elephant Art Shop, which she launched in 2015 to harness the power of art for social and environmental action. Elephant Art Shop features an extensive product range created from Samantha’s original watercolor paintings, and a wide selection of original works that celebrate wildlife, environmental themes, and community life. Her products are also featured at Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild, Opus 40, Newberry Artisan Market, Nancy’s Artisanal Creamery, and Josie’s Coffee Shop.

A passionate advocate for wildlife and environmental conservation, youth education, and community empowerment, Samantha combines her artistry with more than 15 years of experience spanning international agencies, corporate organizations, and NGOs. A native of London, she has also lived in Kenya, East Africa, where her experiences continue to inform her global perspective and purpose-driven work.

Cedric Craig

Since picking up his first camera as a child, Cedric has been driven to create meaningful connections through visual storytelling. With a signature style rooted in strong composition and narrative focus, he employs photography and cinematography to challenge perspectives, capture the overlooked, and evoke emotional responses that alter how viewers perceive the world. His work reflects a constant experimentation with the boundaries of the frame while staying true to his belief that images can deepen understanding and spark connection.

Based in Washington, D.C., Cedric works as a freelance photographer on editorial and event assignments for media outlets, nonprofits, and advocacy groups. His photography has been featured by The Climate Group, WorldPride 2025, Capital Pride Alliance, Washington Life Magazine, Washington Blade, Trust for the National Mall, and Wild Side Media, among others. In 2025, he was honored to serve as the official photographer for the inaugural DC Climate Week. A climate advocate, traveler, and plant collector, Cedric continues to document both the natural world and human culture, using his craft to inspire stewardship of the planet and the communities that depend on it.