Blog: My art tells the story of nature loss

Nature is my muse says immersive artist Clare Celeste as she writes for BIAZA on why zoos should be working with artists to tell the story of nature.

My name is Clare Celeste and I am an American artist and environmentalist based in Berlin. I bring thousands of images of flora and fauna together into immersive installations evocative of our planet’s vanishing biodiversity. I find inspiration for my artwork in the intricate and interwoven ecosystems of our planet. Each piece, meticulously hand-cut and layered, speaks to both the fragility and resilience of our earth.

Growing up in Brazil, I had the ocean, rivers, and jungles that always existed in stark contrast to the industrial cities. My earliest and most formative memories are of lush, humming tropical ecosystems —and the encroaching industrial landscapes of Brazil’s cities. These impressions deeply influence my artwork.

I have been assimilating to different cultures and environments my entire life – having lived in Brazil, the US, Italy, Honduras, Argentina and Germany. Collage allows for me to pull together naturalist imagery from across the globe and create a cohesive visual story. Much like my own memories. 

As I use naturalist imagery from 1900 and earlier, many species in my artwork have already vanished or are vanishing. This adds a layer of ecological urgency to my work. Nature is my muse, but 70% of biodiversity has been destroyed since 1970. We’ve forgotten that we breathe the breath of trees, that we’re part of a larger carbon cycle, and that we are enmeshed within the ecosystems we are destroying. We have this illusion of separateness that is driving our ecological crisis.

I believe in the power and art and storytelling to reawaken a connection to our planet. By immersing audiences in the splendor of nature's intricate beauty, I hope to inspire a deeper reverence for the Earth and a commitment to its preservation.

The climate and biodiversity crises can be overwhelming. I personally feel a lot of grief over the loss of ecosystems and species.  In the face of climate change and the loss of biodiversity, I believe art has the power to spark change and open dialogue. By immersing audiences in the splendor of nature's intricate beauty, I hope to inspire a deeper reverence for the Earth and a commitment to its preservation.

Similarly, zoos and aquariums are such important places of connection to the natural world for audiences of all ages. Often they are the only places where people can see the species first hand that are under threat. For this reason, they are incredibly important spaces for education and engagement around ecological issues. I often visit botanical gardens, zoos and aquariums to draw inspiration from. I believe that zoos and aquariums could partner with artists of all disciplines to bring in audiences and raise awareness and action around biodiversity conservation. 

By Clare Celeste, Collage and installation artist

To find out more about Clare’s work click here

All blogs reflect the views of their author and are not necessarily a reflection of BIAZA's positions.