Plant and Soil Scientist

Imelda is a plant and soil scientist who recently undertook a PhD in Scotland. After multiple sittings with Imelda over time and hearing about her journey with plants and the soil, I tackled a drawing as a working drawing of the sitter and her connection to the earth. The picture existed to become a more detailed oil painting of Imelda, which, after her last visit to my studio in summer 2023, it was decided that it was to sit beside a microscopic interpretation of the soil. So, becoming a diptych.

In this painting, Imelda models a scarf. Imelda's Dad gifted that scarf to her Mum, who then gave it to Imelda. Her Dad was killed during the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

As an ethnobotanical artist, my drawings and paintings link plants with people, place and time.
Walking the land, photographing, and collecting plant material is the key to explorations for my art practice.

Imelda Uwesi - Plant and Soil Scientist. oil on canvas. 69cm x 138cm. 2023

Part of a working drawing of Imelda, Plant and Soil Scientist - Sanguine Conte Oil Lead on 56 x 76 cm HP 640gsm Paper 2023