Date/Time
25th June 2026 - 23rd July 2026
10:00am - 5:30pm
Categories
A contemporary art exhibition that highlights interdependencies in the natural world, and which celebrates ways in which artists co-create artworks with non-human forces. Ecologists define symbiosis as close, long-term interactions between different organisms. As climate change and habitat loss accelerate, understanding these bonds is crucial to conserving biodiversity.
The exhibition brings together over 70 artworks made by a diverse group of visual artists working across printmaking, painting, textiles, film, photography and sculpture. Rather than presenting nature as separate, collectively the works propose a hybrid space in which boundaries dissolve, highlighting the complexity of living together within shared ecological systems. The artworks in this show visually reference patterns found across scales—mycelial networks, neural pathways, cellular growth, and planetary systems—suggesting a shared language of form that underpins life. Traces of the human emerge as intertwined with, and never separate from nature: an ear sculpted in the iridescent lining of a mollusk shell; an acorn growing in an outstretched palm; a brain-scan interwoven with lavender.
Rather than depicting nature from a distance, the works emerge through close observation and collaboration with it. Participating artist, James Mark Brown says: “Together, the pieces propose a shift from viewing organisms as discrete entities to understanding life as relational and interdependent. They invite reflection on our place within these systems—not as observers, but as participants within a living network.”
The show is on display at Art Works East in Leyton (which is itself both a gallery and a vibrant hub supporting collaborations between artists) from the 25th June and 23rd July. The artworks will be complemented by a month-long programme of events which relate to the exhibition’s themes, including live music gigs by activists and musicians Gibbon & Goldfinch; a storytelling workshop by author Kim Willis; Yoga exploring how the exhibition’s themes relate to the body; ‘songs of the land’ workshop by nature-connection practitioner Jenna Blencowe. There will also be a Curator’s evening on 10th July, where there will be a tour of the exhibition to get a deeper insight into the artists and their work; and an opportunity to meet the artist for a Q&A.
Image Credit: ‘Rockpool’ by Waltham Forest artist Emma Bond