Artist Statement
Behind my artwork is the desire to create a shared neutral space where deep communion with the natural world exists.
In this shared neutral space, there is a possibility for decentering, where viewers can come to see the ways in which speciesism – the belief of there being a hierarchy of life in nature - is impacting the entire planet.
In this shared neutral space, we invite you to recognize that biological human bodies do not ‘belong’ to a individual, but are mere temporary extensions of the living land, no different from the coyote, crow, cat, or conifer tree. While the capacity for intelligence makes humans unique, it comes with the critical responsibility to comprehend beyond our own species.
In this shared neutral space, we ask the viewer to identify: Are you living as detached witness, or are you present with the land?
Biography
Sarah Ronald is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist living on the west coast of Canada in the ancestral and unceded territory of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem First Nation).
Ronald's diverse upbringing in the rural Okanagan shaped her future as an ecologically concerned artist, whose work centres around surveying human behaviour and our impacts on wildlife and the natural world.
Sarah often finds inspiration for her art and engagement projects while working with conservation organizations, evaluating wildlife statistics, and researching challenges around habitat loss and climate change.
Her work can be found in private collections, temporary public presentations, wildlife conservation campaigns, and exhibitions in Canada and abroad.