Biophilia - at Musgrove Park Hospital
24 November 2025
Biophilia, in partnership between Dorset Visual Arts, The Arborealists and Musgrove Park Hospital organised by Art for Life.
This diverse exhibition, which focuses on our relationship to the natural world and creative health and wellbeing, moves to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, in early 2026 after showing at Dorset County Hospital and Royal United Hospital Bath.
This specially-expanded show features over 60 works from members of The Arborealists, Dorset Visual Arts and other selected artists responding to the theme Biophilia, with a particular focus on trees, woodland, hedgerows and commons.
Wellbeing and biophilia are important to all of us but particularly in a hospital setting where many are unable to get outside. By visually representing biophilia, or ‘bringing the outside in’, the exhibiting artists hope to uplift the environment and support staff and patient wellbeing.
Thank you to Arts in Hospital, Art at the Heart of the RUH and Art for Life for supporting the project so far.
image: David Brooke - Planting Trees
From 26th January until 13th June 2026
Biophilia
Musgrove Gallery + The Wall
Musgrove Park Hospital
Parkfield Drive
Taunton
Somerset
TA1 5DA
01823 333444
BIOPHILIA, n.
Artist Statements
Mirella Bandini
Much of my practice is centred around found objects that I forage from natural spaces... Pieces of the earth that I associate with places and memories that subsequently weave their way into my work. I follow an intuitive process of making which imbues my pieces with an almost meditative connection; an outlet for all the emotions swirling within. Making is my way of sorting through things and letting go of that which no longer serves me. You could say therefore, that making art is both central to my well being, and one of the things that viscerally connects me to the natural world.
David Brooke
The natural world plays a large part in my paintings, although always very stylized. Often entirely covering the background of scenes of figures taking part in strange unknown narratives. Sometimes the natural world appears dark and threatening, sometimes strong and supportive. On many occasions I have painted “Green Men” or similar figures who personify and represent nature. Sometimes figures stride across the landscape scattering seeds or planting trees suggesting man’s need to support nature just as nature supports mankind.
Siân Cann
As a visually impaired artist, my practice in cameraless photography allows me to express my affinity with nature in a way that hopes to provide a fresh and thoughtful approach to others. My tactile and immersive approach to image-making leads me to new discoveries in the often overlooked elements of local environments, and it is my ongoing mission to raise awareness of this wonder in the everyday. The repeated patterns and connections between all things in Nature that I discover in my work continuously provide me with a sense of purpose, peace, and strength through this understanding of natural resilience.
Elaine Collett
Walking feeds the soul, body and imagination, it is both inspirational and life enhancing and memories of daily walks inform most of my work. My particular Dorset landscape is rural, agricultural, green, with many track and field edge walks, all notable for hedgerow and standalone oaks, dominating crop lined fields. Many ancient ash populate the hedgerows, often growing intertwined and cramped, they shoot upwards defying the onslaught of brutal cutting machines and devastating disease. All my painting is driven by colour, gestural marks triggered by memory developing character and identity, always a balance between ‘formal visual language’ and expressive energy.
Helen Dean
This oak tree is testimony to the remarkable growth and survival of a native species in the face of adverse environmental conditions, and we can all gather strength witnessing such phenomena. This brave tree inspires me with optimism and hope for the survival of our woodland heritage. I feel particularly fortunate to live in such a beautiful county, and my drawings are a way of recording the strength, structure and endurance of the natural environment. Working with dip pen and Indian ink allows me to concentrate on intricate mark-making to emphasise the complexity and immense power of nature over time.
Hugh Dunford-Wood
Painting outside is serious, engaging work, a surrender of ego before all that sustains us, the birds and the insects and the surrounding trees resplendent in their embracing boughs. It is loving the world.What I try to do is to make metaphors in paint, with colour and gesture, that might suggest the experience of standing here surrounded by all this glory. The natural world is a constant surprise, from unexpected quarters of astonishment. The imagination is a dullard in comparison to this fabulous sensorium, and it deserves our utmost attention. For me, going out painting is really going in.
Chris Dunseath
I am fortunate that I have lived much of my life in a rural location. I am aware of the positive impact that nature has on my physical and mental wellbeing. I recognise connections between natural phenomena and my creative practice, which can include observing patterns, systems and complexity. The cycles found in the seasons provide a reassuring sense of renewal. My work ‘Spreading Oak in Winter’ shows an ancient Oak in its dormant state before it once again erupts into leaf in the Spring. This life cycle has continued for centuries and hopefully will continue for many centuries more.
Lucy Erskine
Every morning my lovely dog, Elsa, and I go out for a long walk. The seasons come and go but not before we notice all the changes around us; from the frozen winter`s soil, first snowdrops, the smell of wild garlic along the river, hearing the bees in the bloom trees, the taste of delicious apples in the autumn, and dramatic storms. The wonders of life fill my senses. I want my paintings to reflect this wonder around me, of feeling connected to nature. How I feel is important and hopefully to the wellbeing of others
Zac Greening
Zac’s inspiration comes principally from nature – 'the ultimate sculptress'. He finds the sculptural forms created by the sun, moon, waves and trees particularly inspiring as symbols of sustainability. He works in a wide range of media from discarded plastic bottles to organic matter. Often these materials are fused together to reinforce the aesthetic or narrative that he’s looking to express. A narrative is created that highlights the relationship between man and the natural environment. Common themes found in his work often abstractly express or make a comment on issues such as sustainability, environmental degradation, or consumption; alternatively they may simply be an expression of the marvel and awe he sees in a sunset or the kinetic and meditative experience found in the rolling of sea waves. He communicates and reminds the viewer of mankind’s inextricable socio-economic and spiritual link with the natural world
Lucy Hawkins
Southwest landscape artist Lucy Hawkins draws inspiration from the Jurassic coastline, landmarks, moorland and ancient woodland. Various terrains are explored through expressive painting. Lucy paints outdoors, aiming to truly experience and be immersed in a place, working en plein air to express and capture the moment. Her responses aim to share the beauty, peace and pleasure of being in nature and connections with the land.
Alina Hibbert
I have always watched my dad garden while growing up, which is likely why horticulture has a considerable impact on my life. When he told me he manages a wildflower meadow, I knew I had to document the process to capture its naturally changing and developing life cycle. Every year, a new wildflower comes to light in this beautiful process. I’m very proud of my dad and what he has achieved, and I'm almost jealous that he gets to spend most of his time here.
Caroline Ireland
I work from observation, imagination and improvisation in drawing and painting, in a variety of mediums, but the ones that give me most pleasure and work best for me are charcoal, soft pastel and watercolour, often in combinations. There can be many different starting points for new work: the shape of a leaf, a walk through woodland, the words of a song, or fleeting images on waking from a dream; anything can spark images in my mind and give me ideas for future paintings. I collect these thoughts and ideas in sketchbooks for future reference. I also work on improvisations, just letting the marks take me on a journey into my imagination. I always hope that my work might be a stepping stone to seeing the magical in the world all around us; to bring joy, inspiration and imagination, using vibrant colour to uplift and engage the emotions.
Judith Jones
My photographic practice often revolves around exploring human interactions with nature, including within urban spaces. There is a beauty and calmness to be found when we allow nature in all its guises to share our built spaces. To me this interplay between nature and the spaces we live in is so important for us all. To enjoy the sound of birds roosting at twilight or to watch wild flowers grow in verges as spring awakes is something we can all do even without a green space of our own and is fundamental to our wellbeing.
Percy Lizzard
My work involves combining and synthesising observation, memory, experience and imagination to create images that celebrate enjoyment and engagement with the natural world and to reach a simple powerful presence. My most recent works relate to exotic aspects of Indian landscapes, populated by a celebration of colourful birds and elephants. The quality of light is important particularly the rainforests of North Goa which soak up the sun throughout the day and gently emit a subtle glow through the night. The compositional nature of the paintings are then enhanced by rich, often fizzing colour fields from my intensely bright palette.
Jenny Mellings
Frequent immersion in the natural landscape is essential to me and at the heart of my practice, even down to the materials used. Its power and magnitude was perhaps never more evident than when during the pandemic it was finally possible to reach the Dorset coast, and swim in the intensely blue sea of that day. The joy of rambling in such elements was rediscovered, following winding paths through limestone slabs on Portland, an environment of hardy plants that thrive on thin layers of earth. Nature, sometimes leading us into difficult situations, appears infinitely capable of guiding us back out again.
Alison Moore
This work is a celebration of the light and colour at the end of the summer. Time spent immersed in nature helps me to notice changes in the seasons through the inevitable growth and development of plants. I am particularly interested in the shapes and negative spaces that are present in the undergrowth, especially the many layers of interest in gardens and natural spaces. Somewhere Only We Know was painted quickly to capture the fleeting beauty in the movement of the fauna and the changes in the light as autumn approaches.
Harriet Mummery
Lichens are two organisms (at least) in a perfect symbiotic relationship, one cannot survive without the other. Using lichen as metaphor encourages exploration of surfaces, physically in their environment and consciously in thought, reflecting the importance of nature and our connection with our landscape. Exploiting a variety of environments, lichenology, mycology and sociology, Harriet’s practice interpolates boundaries, often involving augmented reality, digital technologies, and sculpture to translate surfaces through digital realms to visualise where our autonomy stops and the algorithm begins
Trudi Ochiltree
I create paintings inspired by the landscape and seasonal changes, working in oils, watercolour and acrylics. My art begins as en plein air sketches and photos, before I explore my ideas further in the studio. This develops the expressive and imaginative qualities of my art as I remove myself from the original source. I love to explore mark making, colour and light. People often comment on the vibrancy and atmosphere in my paintings. My art celebrates nature and my experience of it, capturing a moment of awe and spiritual connection. I feel truly at one with the world when I am in nature.
Ani Overton
Painting landscapes is my way of trying to capture how I feel when I’m out on a walk. I’m always blown away by the beautiful, ever-changing colours and textures of nature, and being in the countryside or by the coast is my solace – it always makes me feel very joyful and recharged. I love using my medium of oil and cold wax to try and capture this feeling. I can build up all the layers and details with energy until the painting is fizzing. I hope to make paintings that can be windows into this joy.
Andy Rollo
Over the last four years I have immersed myself in the landscape and woodland of Dorset, choosing to paint unassuming, almost incidental subjects. I focus in on the complexity of moss clad trees, the quality of light falling on the woodland floor and abstract shapes and forms, building up surfaces that suggest rather than outright describe. I juxtapose dabs and dashes, palette knife marks, washes and impasto together with a mix of oils, acrylic and spray paint. The striking landscape of our local area has become a place of sanctuary in recent years and symbolises strength and protection, steadfastness. The tree withstands whatever nature throws at it, and we have had to do the same, whilst continually being reminded of our own mortality and the passing of time.
Rachel Sargent
I walk most days on the way to and from the studio. I walk through woods, down old tracks, up on the downs and along rivers. Back in the studio, painting or printmaking, I recall what I saw and how it felt to be in a certain place at a certain time of day. Both activities inform each other and both are a deep form of mindfulness for me. Concentrating, observing and reimagining elements in nature keeps my mind focused on its patterns and rhythms. This gives me a profound sense of wellbeing.
Liz Somerville
I go for a walk every morning, the same walk at roughly the same time every day, come rain or shine or snow or wind or ice. Different every time I do it. The colours change week to week and with the changing colour come differences in form. The trees develop their canopies, weeds obscure edges, crops are harvested and the tractors leave their marks. My work is all about the landscape that surrounds me; much of my time spent sitting, staring and thinking. It keeps my spirits level, bolstering them when needed.
Pauleen Trim
Pauleen fell in love with painting nature about 15 years ago. Living in the heart of rural Dorset she finds it easy to bring nature into her everyday life, benefiting both her mental and physical well-being. The close study of plants for her paintings is a very good mindfulness exercise. So many people are unaware of the ever changing, beautiful, natural world around them, unaware of how important plants are to us in such a vast number of ways, she hopes her paintings will prompt awareness and encourage viewers to take time to look at their environment and benefit from the well-being it offers.
Harland Viney
My studio is situated at an old mill on the River Manger. This mill has existed since the 1600’s and the connection with the environment and the rhythms of nature is intertwined in a cyclical pattern of seasons. From the trees, to the flow of water to the migration patterns of birds and fish, we all live alongside one another.
Toby Wiggins
Being in the Dorset landscape is to be at home. Familiar, yet surprising with every season. To be immersed in nature is to be aware of space and time; to feel weather and climate and to be at ease among the myriad growing forms and the animate creatures that inhabit them. To quieten the mind and to notice. Wandering through nature, calms and reduces stress in an increasingly anxiety driven society, but for me it also reawakens a sense of my true place in the ‘real’ and permanent physical, natural world.
Stephen Yates
In today's fast-paced world, the connection between nature and personal well-being is more important than ever. As an artist, I find myself constantly drawn to the elements of the natural environment both here at my home in Portland and in West Dorset, exploring how they influence my creative process and emotional state. In this exploration, I aim to delve deeper into the ways that nature plays a role in my artistic practice, reflecting on the serene moments it offers and the inspiration it ignites. This journey intertwines my experiences with the natural world and my quest for a greater sense of well-being.
Biophilia is a collaboration between Dorset Visual Arts and The Arborealists, supported by Art for Life at Musgrove Park, and previously by Arts in Hospital and Art at the Heart. The exhibition first showed at Dorset County Hospital in April 2025 before moving to Bath Royal United Hospital in summer/autumn with an expanded show featuring additional works from The Arborealists. The statements featured here are from the first leg of the exhibition in Dorchester.
As DVA and Dorset Council declare a Climate and Ecological Emergency, a focus on the natural world and the benefits of immersion in nature are a central element to DVA’s work. Wellbeing and biophilia are important to all of us but particularly in a hospital setting where many are unable to get outside. By visually representing biophilia, or ‘bringing the outside in’, we can help support the wellbeing of patients. Dorset has an abundance of veteran trees, ancient woodland, hedgerows and commons which provide important habitats for different species as well as places for recreation, relaxation and rejuvenation.
This open call exhibition features work by invited and selected artists, both from members of The Arborealists and Dorset Visual Arts, as well as other artists resident in Dorset.
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