Clare Hewitt: Everything in the forest is the forest

Artist Clare Hewitt’s latest exhibition explores the deep connections within forest ecosystems, inspired by research on rural isolation and the sentient communities formed by trees.

Since 2019, Hewitt has worked at The Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR FACE), documenting a circle of twelve 180-year-old oak trees—contemporaries of photography itself.

Her work reveals how trees communicate underground via fungal networks, share resources, nurture their young, and build resilient communities. Hewitt’s creative practice mirrors these principles, aiming to foster connection and inspire change.

The exhibition features 14 bodies of work, including:

• Long-exposure pinhole photographs taken in handmade ‘birdbox’ cameras
• Sun-exposed oak leaf lumen prints
• Oak gall ink paintings
• Subterranean root environment videos
• Collaborative pandemic-era photography workshops

An immersive soundscape of the forest’s dawn chorus, created with Professor Annie Mahtani, accompanies the visuals.

Sustainability is central to the exhibition: materials include fashion industry waste paper and reclaimed scaffold boards for framing. Every element has been carefully considered to minimize environmental impact.