Who?
I am a research-based artist and writer working primarily with photography. My practice broadly concerns the relationship between humans and the wider natural world with a particular emphasis on the cultural history of individual plant species, such as the English oak. I am especially interested in the concept of plant intelligence and how working closely with individual plants (or plant species) may narrow the human-nature divide in ways that foreground their existence as beings, rather than things. To approach this, I often incorporate organic matter into photographic processes or use photographic methods that visualise or refer to a plant’s biological functions.
Alongside my practice I am also a practice-based PhD student in photography at the University of Brighton, conducting research on how artistic interaction with the concept of plant intelligence can help deepen creative and philosophical engagements with plants, particularly the English oak tree. Broadly speaking my research interests cover photographic theory, history and practice; plant intelligence; critical plant studies; queer ecology and queer theory.
A link to my research profile can be reached here.
My creative writing, which usually takes form as short stories, poems or photo-poetry, explore human relationships and memory in relation to queer identity and intimacy. Information about my first short story Under waning moons, a combination of photography, prose and poetry (or photo-poetry), published by At Alta: The Birmingham Journal of Literature in 2020, can be found here.
Currently based in Herefordshire, U.K, I hold an artist studio at Apple Store Gallery, Rockfield Road, Hereford. As of September 2024, I am represented by The Tree Art Gallery, Oxfordshire. A contemporary, online art gallery specialising in the artistic representation of trees and wood.
Alongside my practice I also teach on a freelance basis, having held visiting lecturer positions at the University of Brighton and Hereford College of Arts. I also conduct lectures and workshops on photographic processes, methods and theory.
Portrait by Mike Raven.
Education
2018-Present
PhD, Arts, Media and Photographic Practice
University of Brighton, Brighton
2014-2015
MA, Art History and Museum Curating with Photography
University of Sussex, Brighton
2010-13
BA, Photography and Video
De Montfort University, Leicester
Publications
2025 ‘Photographic Phytography: Towards a Photographic Re-centering of the Oak Tree in Method, Theory and Practice’, Vol. 2, Issue 01, Plant Perspectives.
2024 ‘Qu(e)ercus Robur: Orlando and the Oak Tree’, Issue 63, Queering Nature, Antennae Journal: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture.
2023 ‘Queer Constellations: Reflections on Curatorial and Creative Practice at the Museum of English Rural Life’, co-authored paper with Joe Jukes, published in Networking Knowledge: MeCCSA Journal for Postgraduate Research
2021 screentime photoconvo, a discussion through photographs with another photographic artist, as part of screentime zine’s magazine feature, Vol I
2020 Online and in-print publication of 'His Ballard, under waning moons', a short story and photography project, published in At Alta: The Birmingham Journal of Literature, Vol XI
2019 Online and in-print publication of Homeland, a zine curated by Revolv Collective, featuring work from project 'Common Ground', Take Courage, London
2014 Short story, 'A Shadow to Cast Light' as part of Extending ley lines, a collaborative series of writings curated by artist Will Jennings,
Press, Talks & Conferences
2025 ‘These Rooted Bodies’, as part of The Institute of Photography’s Summer Conference, titled Sustainable Photography?, held at Falmouth University in partnership with the Sustainable Darkroom.
2025 ‘Arboreal Encounters: Heritage Oaks in the English Landscape’, as part of the Royal Geographic Society’s annual conference, titled Practicing Vegetal Geographies: Creativities and Beyond, held at the University of Birmingham and organised by Matthew Beach and Mingcan Rong.
2024 ‘Shimmers on the surface of the land’, a talk on my photographic practice in relation to the polaroids of the landscape painter Yasmin David, as part of Art and Place in South Devon: The Legacy of Yasmin David at Luscombe Farm, co-led by Ellie Porter and Gareth Bell-Jones.
2024 ‘Regional Landscapes and Seascapes, Local Perspectives’, online conference organised by the University of Brighton to coincide with artist Emma Stibbons’ exhibition Melting Ice | Rising Tides at Towner Eastbourne.
2023 ‘Epha J. Roe - Finding Agency Through Creativity’, podcast interview for Self Esteem, interviewed by Creative Director Mike Raven
2022 ‘Photosymbiosis’, co-presented talk with Prof. Annebella Pollen on my practice-based PhD of the same name, hosted by ONCA Gallery, Brighton
2021 ‘Queer Constellations’, co-presented talk with Joe Jukes at the MeCCSA-PGN Conference titled Dreaming of Another Place, held at the University of Brighton, Brighton
Selected exhibitions
Current/Upcoming
2025 Rockfield Arts, group exhibition with artists from Apple Store Gallery Studios, Hereford
2025 Natural World, group exhibition, Artlandish Gallery, Hereford
2025 These Rooted Bodies, solo show, Edward Street Gallery, Brighton
2025 Sustainable Photography?, group exhibition, Falmouth University, Cornwall
2025 These Rooted Bodies, solo show, RidgeBank Gallery, Kington
Past
2024 White, group exhibition, RidgeBank Gallery, Kington
2024 These Rooted Bodies, solo show, Hereford College of Arts, Hereford
2024 Arboreal Encounters, group showcase at the British Art Fair represented by The Tree Art Gallery, Saatchi Gallery, London
2024 h.Art, a group exhibition with artists from Apple Store Gallery Studios as part of Herefordshire Art Week, Hereford
2023 Roots: A Journey of Creative Discovery with England’s Heritage Oak Trees, solo show, The Artery Studies, Arch 28 Gallery, Worcester
2022 Photosymbiosis, solo show, ONCA Gallery, Brighton
2022 Telling Pictures, group exhibition bringing together photographic research and practice as part of the Brighton Photo Fringe, Edward Street, Brighton
2022 YEARBOOK, group online exhibition by Shutterbug, showcasing the work of over 300 photographer’s from all over the world
2021 Queer Constellations, group exhibition exploring queer approaches, ways of seeing or experiencing rurality, to coincide with the play ‘The Stars Are Brighter Here’ dir. Timothy Allsop (as part of ‘Queer Rural Connections’), featuring work from PhD project ‘Photosymbiosis’ (then titled ‘Embarkment’), Museum of English Rural Life, Reading
2020 North / South, group exhibition with Bethan Clarke and 'Landing Collective', a collaborative exhibition as part of the Brighton Photo Fringe 2020, featuring assorted work exploring the intersection between human culture and the natural world, Phoenix Gallery, Brighton
2020 Body / Nobody, group exhibition and zine co-curated by New Grounds & Beth Troakes, as part of the Artists Open House Festival, featuring work-in-progress from PhD project 'Photosymbiosis', Gallery Lock In, Brighton
2019 Homeland, group exhibition and zine curated by Revolv Collective, featuring work from project 'Common Ground', Take Courage, London
2019 Faking it, group exhibition featuring work from 'The Dawn and the Downs' and 'Glitch[ed]' (collaboration with Bethan Clarke), to take place alongside 'Faking it' academic conference, University of Sussex, Brighton
2019 Fake | Make, group exhibition curated by New Grounds, in partnership with the Artists Open House Festival, featuring work from 'The Dawn and the Downs' and 'Glitch[ed]' (collaboration with Bethan Clarke), The Old Market, Brighton
2019 Aesthetic Initialisms, group exhibition curated by Charlotte Graham featuring work-in-progress from 'Glitch[ed]', collaboration with Bethan Clarke, ONCA Gallery & the University of Sussex, Brighton
2018 Brighton Photo Fringe '18, group exhibition as part of Ontic Collective, selected images from 'The Dawn and The Downs', Phoenix Gallery, Brighton,
2018 One Year Revolv, group exhibition organised by RevolvCollective, including the image 'Out to Ftena', Safehouse 1, London
2018 scapes, group exhibition organised by trace, including images from the exhibition 'At Land and Sea', The Marlborough, Brighton
2018 Web feature and online (and in-print) publication of 'The Waves of an Afternoon' project, Untitled Collective Annual Issue
2017 At Land and Sea: An Audiovisual Study of Sussex, Nick Ford Photography Gallery, collaborative exhibition with sound artist Joe Davin, Brighton
2016 Brighton Photo Fringe '16, group exhibition featuring selected images from a study on waves, Brighton
2016 Selected images from 'The Waves of An Afternoon' & 'Kings Caple' projects exhibited at Redwood Café, Brighton
2016 Screen Social Presents: 'MOVE', screening of 'Dance to Gnossienne #1', hosted by The Book Club, London-
2015 Diálogos na Contemporaneidade: Tecnociência, Humanismo e Sociedade / Contemporary Dialogues: Technoscience, Humanism and Society at Univates, screening of 'Experiment No. #1', Brazil
Horse chestnuts in wheat field, Stable Cottage, Kington, Herefordshire, U.K, 2024. Digital scan of 120mm film negative.
Selected awards, grants and residencies
2024 Shortlisted for the CPB Foundation x Photoworks Residency programme.
2023 Recipient of the Richard and Siobhán Coward Foundation, Analogue Photography Grant for the project ‘Perceiving Phytochrome’,
2023 Grant for Roots, solo exhibition at Arch 28 Gallery, Worcester, awarded by the Centre for Digital Cultures and Innovation, University of Brighton
2022 Grant for Photosymbiosis, solo exhibition at ONCA Gallery, awarded by the Centre for Digital Cultures and Innovation, University of Brighton
2022 Winner of ONCA Gallery’s Open Call,
2022 Shortlisted for the Royal Photographic Society Postgraduate Bursary,
2019 Honourable mention of 'Oak tree near Crummock Water' for the Monochrome Photography Awards, Professional Landscape Photographer of the Year category
2017 Photograph 'Out to Ftena' winner of the 'smartshots' submission category for the Black+White Photography competition