exhibitions & events 2021

Under The Skin: Shining a Light on Extinction

Under The Skin (James and Ed Harrison) invite you to shine a light on extinction, an interactive printmaking and film screening exhibition in November 2021. Discover the anatomy of some of the world’s most endangered and vulnerable animals through a unique screenprint series and watch how Under the Skin are using interactive printmaking to protect threatened species.

With the endangered species list doubling in the past decade, threats to animals all across the planet continue to grow. Over the past 50 years we have lost over half the land animals on earth, most of them silently disappeared without us ever knowing what they are, or what losing them will actually mean for us. We do however know that loss of biodiversity impacts all the other animals, insects, plants, fungi and trees in that habitat, leading to significant amounts of carbon dioxide being released back into the atmosphere.

Under the Skin encourages people to broaden their awareness of the current environmental issues facing our planet and use the skills at their fingertips to become part of this urgent conversation. Since 2015, brothers Ed and James Harrison have been combining their passion for design, illustration and printmaking to shine a light on some of the world’s most vulnerable and endangered species. Printed on Fedrigoni carbon neutral paper, these limited edition screenprints are hand-crafted pieces of art with a powerful underlying message: under UV light the phosphorescent skeleton of each animal is exposed, a reminder of all that remains when a species falls into the darkness of extinction.

The artwork is all created in the name of raising funds and awareness for animal charities, where 20% of every print sale is donated to an organisation dedicated to protecting that respective species or habitat.Under the Skin are proudly collaborating with a growing number of world renowned organisations which include the likes of: Sea Shepherd, RSPB, Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, Birdlife International, Pandas, Saving Cranes, Bornean Orangutan Survival, International and the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, amongst numerous others. This exhibition also sees Under The Skin screen their first short film, created by Luke Ripley, which provides a unique insight into their creative process and the invaluable work that their artistic ventures support.

Image: (from top) 'Sudan UV', screenprint with UV inks. 'Cockatoo', screenprint with UV inks under UV and normal light. James and Ed Harrison at work. 'Albatross', screenprint with UV inks (photography courtesy Alex Sedgmond). All other photography courtesy Ed Harrison.