20 NOV – 04 DECArt Space Portsmouth
Between Land and Tide — Art Space Portsmouth Exhibition
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The Birch Tree Family

Romsey / Portsmouth · 2024

The Birch Tree Family

Sculpture · Performance · Installation · Site-specific

The Idea

Performing as human birch trees in both natural and urban settings creates a deliberate tension — in nature, the work blends seamlessly; in the city, it becomes strange and otherworldly, questioning where we belong.

The Birch Tree Family is a site-specific installation and live performance by Olana Light, featuring wearable sculptures created from mixed media including birch bark. The work has been presented at Sir Harold Hillier Garden in Romsey, Portsmouth Open Studios, Middlesbrough Art Week, and internationally through the British Council in Spain.

The Work

Sir Harold Hillier Garden, RomseyOlana Light
Birch tree wearable sculpture in natural settingOlana Light
Performer in birch bark costume at Hillier GardensOlana Light
The Birch Tree Family sculpture detailOlana Light
Birch tree figures in garden landscapeOlana Light
Portsmouth Open Studios, Treadgolds WarehouseOlana Light
Birch tree sculptures in warehouse spaceOlana Light
Wearable birch sculpture in urban contextOlana Light
Middlesbrough Art WeekOlana Light
Birch tree performer in former retail spaceOlana Light

Materials

What the work is made of.

  • Birch bark
  • Mixed media
  • Natural materials

Place

Presented at Sir Harold Hillier Garden in Romsey, the work inhabits both the cultivated garden and the wilder landscape. In urban settings — Treadgolds Warehouse, Middlesbrough Art Week — the birch tree figures become strange intrusions, questioning the boundary between natural and built environments.

Recognition & Commission

Commissioned by

  • Chapel Arts Studios (CAS)

Funded by

  • CAS Emerging Sculptors Development Award
  • Friends of the Garden

Partners

  • Chapel Arts Studios (CAS)
  • The Roche Court Educational Trust
  • Sir Harold Hillier Gardens

Awards

  • CAS Emerging Sculptors Development Award

Press

Planted Journal

Organic Art: Blurring the Boundaries Between Identity and Nature

Credits

Photo Credit: Olana Light Supported by CAS, The Roche Court Educational Trust and Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, funded by Friends of the Garden.