Artist Statement 2021
Louise Fowler-Smith is the Founder and President of the Tree Veneration Society Inc.
She has been researching the Sacred Tree for the past two decades and has found that the practice of venerating the Tree through decoration protects the Tree in countries such as India. Her research has led her to question whether it is possible for the artist to inspire a re-envisioning of the environment through the aesthetic; and whether sacredness can be transferred through artistic vision without transplanting any specific religious ideology.
“How we perceive and contemplate the land affects how we treat the land. If we see the land as separate from ourselves, we are less likely to honour and respect it.” – Louise Fowler-Smith
As an author Louise has published essays in international peer-reviewed journals and book chapters in peer-reviewed books. Some examples may be found under ‘Resources -Publications’. She has spoken at conferences in the USA, England, Ireland, Japan, France, Italy and Australia and has become known as a specialist on Sacred Trees, particularly those found in India, where she first began her research on how the veneration of trees enabled their protection.
As an environmental artist, Louise has exhibited nationally and internationally, with her most recent exhibitions including a solo exhibition at the Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle in France titled Portraits d’Arbres Remarquables Illuminés/Portraits of Remarkable Trees Illuminated in 2018 and an exhibition at the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney titled Portraits of Extraordinary Trees, Illuminated in 2020.
Instagram: @louisefowlersmith
Website: louisefowlersmith.com
Facebook: louise.fowlersmith
Portraits of Extraordinary Trees, 2020, Unique sublimation print on Chromalux.