Art and Ecology
News
BSU hosts exhibition by internationally renowned artist
Monday, 14 April, 2025Bath Spa University is proud to present Art and Ecology: A Quest to Heal Our Landscape, an exhibition by internationally renowned artist-activist Claudy Jongstra.
Taking place in the Michael Pennie Gallery at Locksbrook Campus, the exhibition showcases the artist’s commitment to ecological justice through her large-scale, hand-felted wool artworks.
Claudy Jongstra is celebrated for redefining ancient wool-felting and plant-based dyeing techniques, creating monumental, textural compositions that champion sustainability. Her works are held in major collections, including the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, MoMA New York, and SF MoMA San Francisco, and have been exhibited worldwide. Her practice is deeply rooted in environmental stewardship.
From her studio in the Netherlands, Claudy cultivates heirloom dye plants and maintains her own flock of sheep, ensuring a sustainable and transparent material cycle and reflecting her dedication to reciprocity with the land.
Claudy’s artistic impact extends beyond galleries. Her early wool works led to collaborations with fashion designers John Galliano, Hermès, Christian Lacroix, and Martin Margiela, and even appeared in the Star Wars film franchise as the signature long coats of the Jedi warriors.
Patricia Brien, Lecturer in Historical and Critical Studies and exhibition curator, said:
“Claudy Jongstra is a pioneer in the area of ecological thinking and action; experimental and traditional materiality and art praxis; it is a great honour to host a selection of her work here at Bath.”
This exhibition invites visitors to engage with art as a force for ecological healing, encouraging a deeper understanding of materiality, craftsmanship, and sustainability.
Art and Ecology: A Quest to Heal Our Landscape is at BSU’s Michael Pennie Gallery, Locksbrook Campus until 20 April. Admission is free.
Masthead image of Claudy Jongstra's work by John Taylor