The Tree Portraits I, 168cm x 118cm, 15 Framed Monoprints

One-off monoprint — only one available

‘The Tree Portraits I’ are made up of 15 original monoprints from early 2020, right at the start of the series.

This work began in 2020 with a close study of London’s pollarded street trees, particularly Lime and Plane species chosen for their resilience to urban pollution. Seen from below, their heavy trunks and repeatedly cut limbs form striking silhouettes that resemble human figures — heads, arms and bodies shaped by decades of growth and pruning.

These trees embody a long relationship between nature and the city. Their forms lean and twist as they continually attempt to grow outward and upward, only to be cut back again — a slow choreography of growth, restraint, and survival. In many ways, they resemble monumental bonsai shaped by urban life.

Printed as a sequence of monoprints, the repeated study of these forms creates a gentle rhythm of gesture and movement. Through repetition, the trees shift from observation toward something more symbolic — individual portraits of resilience within the urban landscape.

The Tree Portraits was exhibited at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2020 & ‘New Era’ Virtual Exhibition from Art Number 23 Athens/London 2020-21, and now resides at the Flavel Arts Centre here in Darmouth.