Nichola Rodgers
My practice begins by walking, gathering and paying attention to the landscapes I inhabit. Through foraging, material experimentation and working closely with plant matter, I explore the relationships between people, place and ecology, asking how we might better understand ourselves as part of the living systems that sustain us.
Plants and naturally gathered materials are not simply the medium through which I make work; they are central to my research. They offer a way of investigating ecological relationships, traditional knowledge and the embodied understanding that develops through careful observation, making and time spent within a landscape. Rather than imposing ideas onto materials, I allow their qualities, histories and seasonal cycles to shape the direction of the work.
Underlying my practice is a commitment to making responsibly. I question not only what an artwork communicates, but how it is made, what it is made from, and what happens to it when its purpose has been fulfilled. I am interested in creating work that exists within ecological cycles rather than outside them, work that can eventually return to the earth, reflecting processes of growth, transformation, decay and renewal instead of contributing to permanent accumulation.
Through this ongoing enquiry, I hope to encourage a different way of seeing, one that recognises humans not as separate from nature, but as intrinsically connected through relationships of care, reciprocity and interdependence.
Lived Experience
Growing up in the Northwest of England has deeply influenced my art practice, shaping the core of my research. My surroundings have always informed my creative journey, an evolving relationship with the object, nature, and womanhood.
In the early years of my practice, I worked with traditional, object-focused methods, creating pieces that offered a sense of permanence and security. These conventional materials and techniques were a strong foundation, but over time, I felt constrained by them. As my awareness of environmental issues deepened, I questioned the sustainability of my practice and the lasting impact of the materials I was using. This led to a significant shift in my work—a transition from creating fixed objects to incorporating a more fluid, sustainable, and nature-driven approach.
I turned to foraging, a practice I did for health and relaxation, these natural materials have become central in my art practice, allowing me to connect more profoundly with the environment.
By gathering plants, berries, and organic materials from the land, I began creating pigments, and inks, researching plants that are edible, and medicinal, and can be used creatively thus aligning my practice with an eco-conscious philosophy.
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