Soil and Art, The Roots of Life
Soil Painting Exhibition by David St Maur Sheil

The "Soil and Art, The Roots of Life" exhibition aims to raise public consciousness about soil and its precious role at the foundation of our life and continued healthy existence. Our featured artist, David St Maur Sheil, is an innovative artist who collects natural soils on site at KFBG and around the Lam Tsuen valley, using them to produce hand-made pigments and create unique art pieces displaying the beautiful natural colours of soil.

This exhibition invites you to explore the beauty and complexity of soil art and to deepen your connection with the earth. Soil art provides an artist with the opportunity to engage more intimately with their materials and with the natural environment from which the materials come. By prospecting for soils, the artist opens their eyes to the pigments that would otherwise be bought from commercial suppliers, and takes the time to grind and prepare their own materials. Through the activity of soil art, gathering soil with a high level of ecological consciousness, and taking time to reveal the hidden beauty in soil through works of art, soil art not only raises the consciousness of the artist but also engages and raises the consciousness of the viewer.

The KFBG Artist-in-Residence Programme invites you to witness David's unique approach to art and explore the often-overlooked world of soil and its importance in our lives. Pigment can be gathered from the environment in a way that leaves no visible trace, and the small amounts used can be balanced against the high level of ecological education that the art makes possible. Ultimately, if the artwork is returned to the soil, it will also simply compost in a natural way, whereas commercial paints with unknown chemical components cannot always be safely composted. Soil art, when conducted sensitively, is a deeply ecological approach to art, which also links us back to historical ways that artists prepared their paints.

Join us on this journey to rediscover the beauty and importance of soil and its vital role in our lives. We hope this exhibition inspires you to deepen your connection with the earth and to take action to protect and preserve our planet for generations to come.

Soil and Art: Soil Painting Experience Workshop

In this “Soil and Art: Soil Painting Experience Workshop”, we explore how art can connect us more deeply to the earth and the local environment. Our featured artist, David St Maur Sheil, uses natural soils to create stunning artworks that showcase the beauty, texture, and diversity of the earth. Through this workshop, you will have the opportunity to engage more intimately with the materials and the natural environment from which they come.

Soil art is a deeply ecological approach to art that raises consciousness about the importance of soil in our lives. By prospecting for soils, artists can discover pigments that would otherwise be bought from commercial suppliers, and take the time to grind and prepare their own materials. Soil art not only engages the artist but also raises the consciousness of the viewer, as it reveals the hidden beauty in soil through works of art.

The use of natural pigments in soil art allows for a sustainable approach to art-making, as the pigment can be gathered from the environment in a way that leaves no visible trace. The small amounts used can be balanced against the high level of ecological education that the art makes possible. Ultimately, if the artwork is returned to the soil, it will simply compost in a natural way, whereas commercial paints with unknown chemical components cannot always be safely composted.

Join us in this workshop to explore the world of soil art and discover the beauty and importance of soil in our lives. Let's connect more deeply to the earth and take action to protect and preserve our planet for generations to come.

A half-day hands-on, and interactive workshop combining a number of modules, including:

• Introduction to soil
• Understand the soil web of life
• Challenges facing global soils and sustainable solutions
• Compost building and basic principles of compost
• Visit to the organic garden and the KFBG composting area
• Regenerating soils through sustainable farming and gardening practices
• Producing simple paint from soils and painting
• Soil as a solution to climate change

Group booking for all ages is also available during November and December. Please send an email to winky.ng@kfbg.org for more information.

About the Artist

David St Maur Sheil is a visual artist who creates stunning artworks using natural soils.

At his workshop in Lam Tsuen valley, David breaks down soil into its many parts, including stones, grit, sand, tiny crystals, organic matter, clays and even dust. He then reassembles them into striking art pieces that showcase the beauty, texture, and diversity of the earth.

For David, art is a means of exploring the healing potential and the deep sustaining roots of our connection to the earth. He believes that the transition to sustainability requires a deep cultural shift and that art can play a crucial role in engaging people's attention and raising consciousness about the beauty and importance of soil to us all.

Today, David splits his time between Hong Kong and East Sussex, UK, continuing to create breath-taking artworks that captivate and inspire. His work is a testament to the beauty and resilience of the earth and a call to action for all of us to take responsibility for our planet's future.