‘Forest: A Fascination with Trees’ by Stevi Benson

Exhibition open daily from Saturday 14th - Saturday 28th June.

A forest is a bustling community, buzzing with communication. Established and thriving symbiotic relationships that provide shelter and home for life in the habitat. Trees provide the air that we breathe.

They perceive time, space, and the planet in a way in which we cannot.

I live among the trees and feel connected, they become familiar, dear friends. I observe their slow life, their gentle existence and their beautiful structures. My work takes a long time to create, the slow quiet way in which I work feels connected and reflective of the way that trees glide through time. Changes that are almost imperceivable, subtly growing year after year.

I hope to capture a moment in the time of these giant friends of ours and inspire more of us to fall in love with them. To care for them beyond the commodity which they provide to us.

Inspired by the patterns and structures of plants, trees and insects, Stevi creates intricate drawings and cut paper artworks. Each piece is cut by hand using a surgical scalpel. Describing the process as meditative, these labour intensive pieces explore the macroscopic details of the flora and fauna in our landscape. Stevi grew up in Tighnabruaich on the west coast of Scotland. She studied Environmental Art at Glasgow School of Art before working in post production. She has also spent several years working at sea. Now based in the Cairngorms National Park, Stevi works from her home studio on the banks of the River Muick.