Rowan Huntley
- Website ,
- LinkedIn ,
- Blog ,
- Collaboration ,
Against the wider context of global warming, ice melt and rising seas, I present a new way of seeing, and connecting with, elements of current climate science undertaken by a Polar geochemist working today at the forefront of research.
This work will be exhibited from 12 September 2025 through to June 2026 at The Polar Museum, Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, UK.
My work is positioned where art meets science, arising from a fascination for geology, chemical interaction and an affinity for ice. Participation in Polar expeditions strengthened my deep appreciation of the frozen world - I was inaugural recipient of *FSPRI’s Antarctic artists residency in 2010 with HMS Scott. Together these experiences led me, on completion of my MA in 2019, to initiate an ongoing collaboration with Dr Joanne Johnson of British Antarctic Survey and thus take my work in an exciting new direction, away from aesthetic representation.
For creative scope, I look to the geological record of glacial and interglacial fluctuations in sea level around the coastline of Gower, in the heart of industrial south Wales where I live, and to the many aspects of Joanne's climate science. The impact of industrialisation and rising seas and ground-breaking scientific analyses, along with the fragility and resilience of the natural world, form the foundation on which my work is placed. Alongside painting I create three-dimensional pieces that integrate natural and man-made elements. I use local geological and found material (respectfully gathered), ice and metals whilst utilising extreme temperature via kiln, flame and freezer.
My metaphorical and symbolic creations are not intended to illustrate Joanne"s work. Rather they enlighten through encounter, opening up new pathways of seeing which leads to greater awareness and understanding. By bringing a different perspective to this hugely important scientific work we hope it will engender wider discussion.
Notes: Provoking thought about science / global warming brings inclusivity to that which is deemed as happening somewhere else, far away, with little personal individual relevance. Bringing non-visible aspects into physical focus enables connections to form. This is vital in an age where so many connections have been lost, changes to our climate are being strongly felt and the resulting disruption to life is intensifying exponentially.
My evolving body of work is an exploration of materials, processes and scientific analyses seen from my perspective as a coastal inhabitant of industrial south Wales. It demonstrates the benefits of looking beyond the obvious, investigates creation within destruction and challenges the hierarchy of presence over absence.
*Friends of Scott Polar Research Institute.
- 2025/26: Solo show, The Polar Museum, Cambridge.
- 2024: Two assembled sculptures selected for Swansea Open exhibition, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery.
- 2023: Painting selected for Swansea Open exhibition, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery.
- 2019: Masters exhibition held in the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.
- 2019 - present: Ongoing contemporary Art / Science Collaboration Accessing the science of a Polar geochemist at British Antarctic Survey to bring it new perspective and enhance community engagement.
- 2017 - 2019: UWTSD Swansea, MA in Fine Art - Contemporary Dialogues. Graduated with Distinction.
*******
- 1992 - 2017: Landscape painter - specifically Alpine, rock and ice subjects in the UK and abroad.
*******
The significant shift in direction within my art practice [after 25 years] from traditional to contemporary arose from the will to delve beneath the surface aesthetics of landscape; to widen my approach in order to explore further my deep emotional connection to the natural environment.
This new work originates from the same place, my innate respect for planetary evolution and in particular, our frozen world. Consequently, as I continue to uncover a world beyond aesthetic representation, I am expanding my artistic vocabulary to develop a visual language appropriate for the environmental conditions of today.
Undertakings of particular note:
- 2010: Jan/Feb - As the inaugural recipient (after a selection process) of an Artist’s Residency awarded by the Friends of Scott Polar Research Institute in association with the Royal Navy, I spent five weeks with HMS Scott on her initial voyage to Antarctica. [Falkland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula and the sub-Antarctic islands.]
- 2010: November - Artist in Residence onboard MV Plancius for Oceanwide Expeditions. [Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Antarctic peninsula and sub-Antarctic islands.]
- 2009: June - Painting expedition to Ilulissat west Greenland. Project supported by the Andrew Croft Memorial Fund and the Gino Watkins Memorial Fund / Edward Wilson Fund.
Selected solo exhibitions specifically associated with climate change:
- ‘Polar Ice - Antarctica's Fragile Beauty’, Discovery Point, Dundee, Scotland. Autumn 2012.
- ‘Polar Ice - Fragile Beauty’ the European Environment Agency, Copenhagen. Dec. 2011 through Jan. 2012.
- ‘Alps to Antarctica’ The Welsh Government Senedd, Cardiff Bay. June 2010.
- ‘Voyage Through A Frozen World’ onboard HMS Scott whilst in Cardiff. June 2010.
- ‘Greenland - Ilulissat's Fragile Ice’ The Welsh Government Senedd, Cardiff Bay. December 2009.
Further history:
- 1989-1991: Designer with Plymouth City Museum & Art Gallery.
- 1987-1989: Volunteer Designer with the Hancock Museum of Natural History, Newcastle.
- 1983-1987: OND & HND in Design Crafts / Wildlife Illustration, Dyfed College of Art.