‘Natures Guardian’ is my final installation for my third-year of BA Fine Art, Creative Practice module, 2026. It is a mixed media installation consisting of a costume, mask, and photographic prints, exploring themes of nature spirits and guardians inspired by the natural world and forests. The costume has been hand made from a bedsheet, recycled scrap fabrics, and photo gel transfers of digital nature imagery.
The mask design was inspired by a face observed within a digital image I created, utilising pareidolia to develop my characters.
The ‘Nature Guardian’ is weeping black tears from the trees, symbolising mourning for the damage inflicted upon the land through human activity and deforestation. The character is inspired by folklore and mythology, referencing characters such as the Green Man, Leshy, Cernunnos, and Windigo. These entities are believed to pose no threat when the forest and nature are respected, however, should harm be inflicted upon the forest, they are said to respond accordingly.
For the photography component, I aimed to portray the character within a raw, wild historical setting and chose to conduct the photoshoot at Clava Cairns near Inverness.