biography
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The correspondences lying between matter, environment, culture and making are the foundations of my practice. As a socially engaged ecological artist, I believe that art can significantly affect how we perceive the living environment, and our perceptions can be changed through social interactions and creative encounters in nature. My multi-faceted practice engages with liminal spaces such as coastlines, streams, salt marshes and woodlands, and the people who exist on, move within and observe those spaces. My work develops intuitively through knowledge gained in conversation with specialists such as naturalists and ecologists but mostly through the different people I meet along the way. My work takes the form of drawings, film poems, digital recordings and public interventions.
Statement
Laura Donkers is a British/Irish multi-media visual artist, curator and independent researcher . Her work mediates complex ideas associated with contemporary, historical and cultural readings of place through a variety of methods, strategies and processes. She employs field-based research, interdisciplinary collaboration and socially engaged activism to explore the interconnections between nature, culture and science.
She holds a PhD in Contemporary Art Practice, MA in Art and Social Practice (Distinction), MFA in Art, Society, Publics and BFA Hons in Fine Art (First Class). Her Practice-led PhD research was carried out at University of Dundee and awarded an AHRC scholarship. This work explored collaborative artistic co-creative methods to strategically promote eco-social regeneration for small island communities. This included comparative research visits to Elam School of Art, University of Auckland to learn about Kaupapa Māori from an art context because of its relevance to values, principles and plans as a foundation for action. She received several awards to develop this work further in Aotearoa leading to the development of LimenLab, which delivers eco-art projects that document and promote exchange between society and ecosystems, and thus the connection between human and non-human beings at a time of biodiversity loss and climate change.
Record of ArtisticPractice
Art Education
2021: Contemporary Curating in Art + Design, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee UK
2020: PhD Contemporary Art Practice, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee. AHRC Creative Economies funded research entitled Deploying collaborative artistic co-creative methods to strategically promote eco-social regeneration for small island communities
2014: MFA Art Society and Publics, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD), University of Dundee
2011: BFA Fine Art Honours (First Class) - University of the Highlands and Islands, Moray School of Art, Elgin
Awards
2023: Arts Grant Lopdell Trust, Titirangi, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand
Creative Communities Grant Auckland Council/Creative NZ
2022: Project Grant Foundation North, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand
Creative Communities Grant Auckland Council/Creative NZ
Prize Winner DEAR2050|Oceans on the Rise, Climanosco, Switzerland
2021: Creative Communities Grant Auckland Council/Creative NZ
2020: Creative Communities Grant Auckland Council/Creative NZ
2019: Artist-in-Residence Award Scottish Graduate School of Arts & Humanities
2018: Visiting Doctoral Research Award Scottish Graduate School of Arts & Humanities
2017: Creative Economies DTP Scholarship Scottish Graduate School of Arts & Humanities | AHRC
2015: Visual Arts & Crafts Award Creative Scotland/CNES
Writer and Travel Grant Connected Communities Bursary through a-n
2012: Visual Art & Crafts Award Creative Scotland/CNES
2011: Talent Development, Investment Programme 4 Creative Scotland
Research Grant Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust
Curatorial Projects and Workshops
2023: Nature Printing Te Uru, Titirangi, Auckland Aotearoa NZ
Botanical Monoprinting Kaipātiki Project Environment Centre, Auckland Aotearoa NZ
2022: Blue Radius Art + Climate Science Exhibition/Events Depot Artspace, Devonport, Auckland, Aotearoa NZ
Botanical Monoprinting EcoArt with Natural Environmental Defense Foundation, Albany Aotearoa NZ
2021: EcoArt with Kaipātiki Project Environment Centre + NorthArt, Auckland Aotearoa NZ
2020: EcoArt with Kaipātiki Project Environment Centre + Auckland Print Studio, Auckland, Aotearoa NZ
2017-18: Grow Your Own Community CCF4968 for Tagsa Uibhist (Scottish Government's Climate Challenge Fund) Outer Hebrides UK
2016: Sewing Wildflowers for GROW WILD (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew) and Tagsa Uibhist, Outer Hebrides UK
2015-17: Local Food for Local People for Tagsa Uibhist + Cothrom (Scottish Government's Climate Challenge Fund), Outer Hebrides UK
2011/13: Art and the Machair with Olwen Shone, for MachairLife+, Outer Hebrides UK
Residencies
2024: Purau-Stoddart Cottage, Diamond Harbour, South Island Aotearoa NZ
2023: The Church, Rawene, Hokianga, Northland, Aotearoa NZ
2019: Kaipātiki Project Environment Centre, North Shore, Auckland, Aotearoa NZ
2017: Kunstverein Schwedt e.V., Galerie am Kietz, Schwedt/Oder, Germany
2015/16: DRAWinternational, Caylus, France
2013: Outlandia, Glen Nevis, Fort William,
2011/12: Cuan Uibhist/The Secret Sea, Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum & Art Centre, North Uist , Outer Hebrides UK
2011: Arteles Creative Centre, Hahmjarventie 26, 38490 Haukijarvi, Finland
Exhibitions
Solo
2024: Subsume, NorthArt, Northcote, Auckland, and Stoddart Cottage, Diamond Harbour, Aotearoa NZ
2022: Land Radius|2, Depot Artspace, Devonport, Auckland, Aotearoa NZ
2019: RE-Generation, NorthArt, Northcote, Auckland, Aotearoa NZ
Meeting Ground, Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum & Art Centre, North Uist UK
2017: Apparitions DJCAD, Dundee UK
Monument Game Tournament Cultivating Perspectives on Landscape, St Andrews University UK
Proposition for a Reading Group Stuff of Research, Kelvin Hall, Glasgow UK
2015: Proposition for a Reading Group Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum & Art Centre, North Uist UK
2014: Landship Public Art sculptural intervention for Dundee City Council, Magdalen Green, Dundee UK
Group
2024: Land Radius|2, Water Reorganizes the Land, Degrowth European Society for Ecological Economics Conference, Pontevedra, SPAIN
2023: Stormy Weather, Climate Conscious Film Shorts (Auckland Climate Festival) New Zealand Maritime Museum, Auckland, Aotearoa NZ
Metamorphic + Matai, Members Show, NorthArt, Northcote, Auckland, Aotearoa NZ
2022: Blue Radius, Depot Artspace, Devonport, Auckland, Aotearoa NZ
2021-2022: Land Radius|2, Dear2050: Oceans on the rise, guest exhibition at Kunst(Zeug)Haus Rapperswil, Schönbodenstr. 1, 8640 Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland
Touching Wood, Artweek Auckland, ReFabCabins, Grey Lynn, Auckland, Aotearoa NZ
Towards the Water Eco-tone exploring the challenges of Argyll's environmental stewardship during COP26, Dunoon Burgh Hall, Dunoon, Scotland
2021: High Water 8.30-22.00 on 30.03.21. An online celebration and vigil of the vernal spring tide with 60 artists from across the world | a project of Tidelines and art.earth supported by the Low Carbon Devon Project (University of Plymouth Sustainability Hub)
2020: Wild Garden, Whenua Ūkaipō Connectedness 2020, a celebration of te taiao/the natural environment, the United Nations at 75, Public Trust Hall, Wellington, Aotearoa NZ
Entangle Edge and Surface, The Book as Art v8.0: Infinity. Decatur, Georgia, USA
2019: Path Drawing/Apparitions. Rock-Paper-Scissors. Expanded Drawing Exhibition, Circus Artspace, Inverness, UK
2017: Entangle Edge and Surface. In the Open, Sheffield Institute of Art, Sheffield, UK
Wasserwirtschaftliche (Water management). Spurensuche (Traces), Galerie am Kietz, Germany
2016: You are not outside. Weit Genug, Kultursentrum Klosterkirche, Angemunde, Germany
Wall Paper Plant. Open Studios, DRAWinternational, Caylus, Midi-Pyrennes, France
Monument Game. Worlding Place, Art and Geography Conference of Irish Geographers, DCU, Dublin Tha mi a bruadair. I Have a Dream, Vancouver Biennale, I Have a Dream Global Art, Farming&Peace
2015: Tha mi a bruadair. Faith in Paris, Raising Farmers Voices in Paris, ArtCOP21, Paris, France
2014: Land Radius. SSA Annual Exhibition, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
Relic. So much depends upon, Members Lounge, Scottish Parliament; and The Tent Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
High Points: The future is behind you, the past is in front of you. Winter Salon, Timespan, Helmsdale
Land Radius MFA Show, Cooper Gallery, Dundee, UK
2013: Finding. New Highland Graduates, Inverness Museum & Art Gallery, Inverness, UK
High Points: The future is behind you, the past is in front of you. Äkkigalleria, Jyväskylä, Finland
2012: Connections. Ways of Seeing, Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum & Art Centre, North Uist, UK
Cove. North Light, Dunbar, UK
An Roinn/The Sharing. Cuan Uibhist/The Secret Sea, Taigh Chearsabhagh, North Uist, UK
Connections. Space, An Lanntair, Isle of Lewis, UK
2011: The naive evidence of things. Open Studios, Arteles Creative Centre, 38490 Haukijarvi, Finland
Collaborations | Commissions | Roles
2024: Subsume - sound art collaboration with Claudia Evans and Noah Page
2023: Stranraer Community Garden Consultant for The Stove, Dumfries, Scotland
2022: Island Hands Across the Atlantic, young people's collaborative film project with Comann Eachdraidh Uibhist a Tuath (North Uist Historical Society) and Barbados Museum
2020: Wā Kōrero Public Programme, Whenua Ūkaipō Connectedness, Public Trust Hall, Wellington, Aotearoa NZ
2019: Art in the Capitalocene, with Prof. Karen Till and Dr Huhana Smith, shared insights with communities and networks in Rathangan, Maynooth, Dublin, Cork, Galway and Burrenbeo Trust, about global ecological and climate crises (supported by Irish Research Council)
2018: To St Kilda and Back, with musician Julie Aitken
2017: Locating Lorne, with Dr Deirdre MacKenna, Cultural Documents
Monument Game Tournament Cultivating Perspectives on Landscape, with SGSAH Student-let Cohort, University of St Andrews
Proposition for a Reading Group Stuff of Research Symposium, with SGSAH Student-led Doctoral symposium, Glasgow
I have a Dream Global Art, a Farming & Peace project, with Shweta Bhattad, Vancouver Biennale
So much depends upon… Nil By Mouth with Hans K Clausen, Crichton Carbon Trust, Edinburgh
An fheadhainn tha laighe samach (They lie silent and still), WW1 Commemoration with Comann Eachdraigh, Uibhist a Tuath, Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum & Arts Centre, North Uist UK
2011/13: Art and the Machair Project with Olwen Shone, for MachairLife+, Outer Hebrides
Talks | Tutoring | Lecturing
2022: Changes to Climate, Changes to Environment. New relationships through art practice.
a conversation with Laura Donkers and Reiko Goto. CEAC Glasgow UK
2021: Working with Communities|Ecological Arts Practice GAP (Greening Arts Practice), Visiting Artist Talk, Chrysalis Arts, North Yorkshire UK
Engaging with the Real LAU Visiting Professionals Talk - Leeds Arts University, Leeds UK
Collaboration as a Tool of Resistance, Panelist in No Borders Art Festival, Ottowa, CANADA
Getting Out into Nature Artist Talk Programme, An Lanntair, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides UK
To Engage with the Real|Drawing Outside, Co-Natural Makers On-line Research Symposium, Plymouth College of Art, Plymouth UK
2019: Guest Lecturer - Cultural Geography, Maynooth University EIRE
2019: Guest Lecturer - Visual Art, MIC University of Limerick EIRE
2016/18: Visiting Tutor - Masters in Art and Philosophy, DJCAD, University of Dundee UK
2016/18: Guest Lecturer - Masters in Art and Philosophy, DJCAD, University of Dundee UK
2014/15: Guest Lecturer - BFA Fine Art & Design students, UHI Lews Castle College, North Uist UK
2014/15: Visiting Tutor - BFA Fine Art & Design students, UHI Lews Castle College, North Uist UK