REN

These are sugar lift aquatint etchings inspired by bark patterns observed on birch trees while doing an artist's residency at Redgate in Beijing, China.

In Confusian philosophy, human observation of nature is a process where humanity is part of what is observed. There is therefore, the visual coming together of the spirit of life and growth and vitality of both human and tree in these images. 

As an artist, I identify with Taoist beliefs perceiving humankind as a component of the natural world following the flow of nature's rhythms, which is antithetical to Western philosophies which perceive the human and natural realms as dualistic opposites. 

The imagery here is created by spontaneous brushwork undertaken after a long period of consideration. These images express the combination of both the human and natural spirit; their growth and vitality combined together, expressed from the inner spirit of the artist.

Read the full Press Release for the Human:Nature Exhibition