Outskirts of Biophilia
 
bio·​phil·​ia 
-ˈfēl-yə

a hypothetical human tendency to interact or be closely associated with other forms of life in nature a desire or tendency to commune with nature
 
This body of work explores our human connection to Nature and the complexities that come from that connection. We humans tend to simultaneously spiritualize and destroy our natural world. Some creatures inspire us to understand our connections by acting as omens, some represent our ancestors, some our future. Yet, as a whole, we rarely value nature enough to fully protect it.  By valuing nature for only it’s ‘resources’, we tend to destroy habitat for our own enrichment without understanding that we are slowly destroying ourselves in the process.

For me, art is a way to make those connections by creating beautiful images with a bit of a darkness. I try to find beauty in despair, and maintain hope despite cynicism. By weaving the details of botany, anatomy and biology together, I draw the viewer to see themselves in relation to nature and hope to inspire deeper conversations about our role in it.

We are often on the outskirts of nature, but I think the only way to save ourselves is to understand that we need to protect and understand the intrinsic value of our natural world.

Kim Hamblin
March 2023