Lucy Ward
she/her
Solastalgia
'Solastalgia' explores the human connection between place and belonging. This bond with nature often fades as we grow, shaped by environment or upbringing.
Solastalgia stems from the distress of witnessing one’s surroundings deteriorate while still living within them. I connect this to my own eco-anxiety—feeling overwhelmed by digital noise while close to peaceful natural spaces.
My work uses latex, mimicking skin wrapping around logs reclaimed from storm Éowyn, to symbolise the human-nature relationship. From that connection, a manifestation of non-human thorns emerge, acting as a protective-entity to preserve this relationship.
Nature’s power to heal is evident, yet it is also unforgiving. The climate crisis—manifesting through pollution, landslides, tsunamis, and storms—reflects both ecological devastation and the unpredictability of human emotion. Feelings like anger, grief, and entitlement mirror the chaos we inflict on our environment, underscoring the urgent need to care for the places we call home.