203cm x 203cm (80” x 80”)
Oil on Linen Canvas
2016
This series directly addresses climate change and humanity’s interventions in nature. In 2016, during an artist residency at the University of Tasmania, I encountered a profound and tragic transformation in the landscape. Tasmania had experienced an unprecedented four-year drought, causing the alpine layers of the mountains—typically a lush, wet terrain—to dry out for the first time. This fragile ecosystem, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was home to 1,500-year-old Pencil Pines. The entire population of these ancient trees was lost in devastating fires, their seeds destroyed, leaving no possibility of regeneration.
Accompanied by Mandy Howe, a local forest ranger, I trekked into the Central Plateau Conservation Area near Lake Mackenzie. Amid the charred remains of the forest, I discovered a singular, haunting figure—an ancient tree, standing yet burnt and lifeless. I named her Jeanne d’Arc after the French Catholic saint, who was burned at the stake in 1431. This tree, like Jeanne, stood as both a martyr and a monument, a symbol of sacrifice and resilience.
The paintings, Jeanne d’Arc, are large-scale works. The central figure stands majestically despite her devastation, surrounded by the remnants of her kin, their blackened forms a silent testament to loss. This work not only memorializes the vanished Pencil Pines but also serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of our planet and the irreversible consequences of human actions.
As a child, my bedroom was adorned with statues of Jeanne d’Arc engulfed in flames—an image that left an indelible mark on me. In this series, the memory of Jeanne’s martyrdom resonates with the tragic fate of the Pencil Pines, urging reflection on our shared responsibility to protect what remains of nature’s irreplaceable treasures.