2025-06-27 Rhyll Stafford ‘Human Nature’
‘Human Nature. The phrase opens up more questions than answers. Discussions with my son as I put this show together have circled around survival, combat and struggle, as well as tenderness, connection and what it means to belong.
Encaustics, an ancient Greek/Roman beeswax and tree resin medium, is a wonderful way to work with this theme. Honeycomb, sticks, tree resins, stone, oil paint, photo transfers, pastels, copper, brass and steel all have qualities that add to the narrative.
We are called to be wide awake in these times, to either grow more humane with each other and meet the needs of our earth, or become inhuman. How can we serve generosity rather than greed? What would happen if mistakes were our learning and not punishment, if we chose care over competition, protection instead of exploitation, connection rather than division?
In a world where alienation is rife, what does human nature mean to you? The artwork isn’t an answer. It is offered as an invitation, hopefully provoking conversation about what is fragile, enduring, lost and yet still possible.’ - Rhyll Stafford
