This January, OmVed Gardens welcomes British-American artist and storyteller Claudia Biçen as Artist of the Month.
Claudia’s work weaves science, myth, and illustration to deepen our relationship with the more-than-human world. Her illustrated book The Forgotten Teachers is a mytho-poetic creation story rooted in evolutionary science and will be central to her engagements as Artist of the month.
Claudia will be the guest artist in our January Open Gardens with an artist display of original works from The Forgotten Teachers and the book available at a special launch price (Sunday 25, 11am–3pm). She will also lead Reimagining Science Through Story & Art, a creative workshop exploring how scientific facts can become sources of wonder (Saturday 31, 11am–1pm).
She will also join the Winter Supper Club on Thursday 29 January, offering an inspiring artistic backdrop to the evening, and be part of Barn Conversations: Origin Stories Through Art, Science, Myth & Music with writer, musician and gardener Lottie Walker (Saturday 31, 6–8:30pm).
About Claudia Biçen
Claudia Biçen is a British-American artist who uses illustration and storytelling to help people deepen their relationships with themselves, each other and the more-than-human world. Her work has been exhibited at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery (Washington DC), the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (London), and the National Arts Club (New York).
Her book The Forgotten Teachers is an illustrated creation story made with neuroscientist poet Brian Isset. Starting from science, while reaching for spiritual truth, The Forgotten Teachers charts the evolution of life on Earth under the mentorship of six teachers: Ocean, Air, Theia (through collision with this planet, Earth was set on its tilt), Sun, Plants, and Symbionts. Ideas from the field of evolutionary biology, accompanied by watercolor illustrations, guide this factual yet mytho-poetic exploration of life.
Before The Forgotten Teachers, Claudia created Thoughts in Passing, an audio-visual portrait series that followed the lives of nine hospice patients as they confronted their death. Thoughts in Passing was featured in the Washington Post, Huffington Post, and San Francisco Chronicle and shared in museums, hospitals, universities, and high schools across the US and UK.
Claudia holds a BA in Philosophy & Psychology from the University of Oxford and an MSc in Social Anthropology from University College London