artist residencies

Over the past 2 years Mandy has been fortunate to engage in 2 very different Artist in Residence Programmes, and whilst in both places created a significant body of work which tells a very visual story of vastly differing landscapes; the colours, texture and mood of each place, whilst maintaining a strong underlying narrative which links both.

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In 2024 she travelled to a tiny village in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest, and in 2025 she journeyed to Skagaströnd – a remote fishing village on the north west coast of Iceland.  Although both completely opposing landscapes, she employed the same strategy in both countries; making dyes from native plants to use as pigments in her work. Working with leaves, bark, berries and lichen moss, she created pigments which were incredibly vibrant, and in an unexpected way also reflected the colour of the environment of each landscape. She allowed herself to be swallowed up by her surroundings, and let each of the differing environments completely dictate the direction of work.

 

The result is a body of work that allows our environment to speak, and reveal itself. It reminds us that in this every changing world we are fast losing the ability to stop and listen to our natural surroundings, and that the way forwards as a species is to look to the past to help shape the future.