Roxy Russell won the SSWA Special Award for her 2025 free motion embroidery sculpture ‘Hanging By A Thread’.

“The State of the World’s Plants and Fungi, a report from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, estimates that around 40% of the 400,000 known plant species are now threatened with extinction. Plants are the foundation of most animal habitats and of all life on Earth. They create the air we breathe. We literally inhale the breath of trees, flowers, and other plants. And yet, we struggle to see them. Can you recall the last plant you saw? I don’t. This phenomenon is known as plant blindness. Our brains often register only a blur of green, not individual species. Plant blindness is both a cause and a symptom of urbanisation, reduced exposure to nature, and a deepening emotional disconnection from the living world around us. In Scotland alone, of the 2,000 known flowering plant species, 233 are listed on the Scottish Biodiversity List as priorities for conservation. Hanging by a Thread is an installation of 233 embroideries, depicting each listed plant.” roxyrussell.co.uk

Awarded by Visual Arts Scotland for high quality, innovative work in three dimensions.

Photo: @robin_mair_photography