Miles Lowry: Letters from the Trees

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Miles Lowry, "Letters from the Trees," 2019

In its earliest manifestation the Irish Ogham script can be found carved into ancient stone markers in the Irish countryside. It has since been lost, found, saved from obscurity and disputed for centuries. According to the medieval scribes who recorded it, the letters played an important role in the Bardic mystical tradition of honouring sacred trees and plants.

The fusion of mark-making and language is at the centre of Lowry’s approach as he merges modern pigments, paper, wax and wood with his own inks (by boiling oak galls or acorns) based on medieval recipes. As such, trees are sometimes both the substance and the subject of the works. In this exhibition Lowry explores Ogham, its symbolism and how trees can portray abstract expressions, reflect hidden communications and inspire spiritual investigations.