Marion Smylie

Marion Smylie is an interdisciplinary artist living in west Wales. Her practice focuses on ecology and the curious weaving of interspecies relationships, highlighting biodiversity loss and interconnectedness. Working in a bio-inclusive way, she experiments and collaborates with natural materials and systems, questioning outdated narratives — filling sketchbooks with botanical inks and charcoal made in the woods, then planting them with spawn which "eats" the drawings in order to grow. The resulting sculptures are dried under specific conditions to preserve them.
Initially trained in theatre, Smylie holds a BA (Hons) in Visual Performance from Dartington College of Art and an MA in Fine Art with Distinction from Arts University Plymouth. She has worked as an illustrator, including for Creating a Forest Garden by Martin Crawford.