A closer look at the ‘More Than Human’ exhibition.
A two person exhibition with Inês-Hermione Mulford
14th -17th March 2025 Custom House, Leith
When we regard the natural world, we can’t help but see ourselves reflected back, seeing our faces in the clouds, our forms within the lines of trees. This interplay between human perception and nature’s inherent patterns reveals an undeniable truth: we are not separate from nature; we are part of it.
Tansy Lee Moir’s intricate charcoal drawings uncover the histories of ancient trees. These trees, shaped by human intervention, wildlife, and the elements, carry silent narratives etched into their bark. Her work reveals the resilience, beauty, and wisdom held within these long-living organisms, urging us to acknowledge our layered, enduring relationship with them.
‘I tried to get into the skin of a tree with this drawing. How does it feel to move like this beech? What does that twist feel like in my own body? Would I wear my own scars with as much dignity and grace?’ Tansy Lee Moir
Inês-Hermione Mulford shifts our attention to the unseen landscapes of the more-than-human world, depicting mosses, lichens and the textures of bark that often go unnoticed. Her work explores how cultural conditioning has distanced us from nature, highlighting the role of indigenous knowledge and folklore in fostering a renewed appreciation for all forms of life.
‘With a background in art, botany, and surgery, I want to challenge the dichotomy of humans vs nature. If we could see the natural world as being an extension of ourselves, would we fight harder to save it?’ Inês-Hermione Mulford
Both artists share a desire to challenge the notion that science is the only valid way of understanding the natural world, encouraging us to also recognise other, older ways of knowing.
The ideas at the heart of the exhibition
The natural world once dictated our relationship with it, life flowed with the seasons and our understanding and reverence of the natural world was deeply rooted in indigenous wisdom, shamanism, animism and folklore. Each was embedded in a deep understanding of place and time, built upon centuries of observation, storytelling, and lived experience.
The western hierarchical view of life placed humans at the apex, with nature existing merely for our use, and scientific inquiry disregarded the magic and reverence that once surrounded the natural world. Today, we face the consequences of this divisive mindset, but it does not have to be this way.
Indigenous wisdom offers insights that are often overlooked by Western science and yet can coexist and complement one another. Robin Wall Kimmerer writes about the idea of nature as kin, suggesting that we ought to view plants, animals, and ecosystems as relatives, not resources. This perspective aligns with many indigenous traditions that honour the Earth as a living, conscious being, deserving of respect and care.
By embracing the term ‘more-than-human’, first coined by ecophilosopher David Abram and linked by Merlin Sheldrake to fungal communities, we can appreciate the miraculous complexity of the natural world, moving beyond a human-centric viewpoint and the nature-culture dichotomy, towards a deeper understanding of life’s interconnectedness.
