Visual Arts Residency 10/05/25–24/05/25
Joseph Conran is an artist and environment sector strategist. His practice inhabits the space between people and nature, often referencing natural processes as a lens through which to interrogate humanity. In both his artistic and strategy practices, Joseph makes spaces where creativity can inspire people to think more about their connection to nature, and their role in safeguarding its future.
During his residency, Joe developed two interconnected projects that will be further explored upon his return to the mainland.
The first, inspired by the Welsh idiom and T H Parry-Williams’ poem Bro, explored new ways of mapping and articulating the “bones” of a place. Joe burned a map of Enlli into canvas, layering it with materials, words, and observations gathered on the island. Drawing from workshops with residents, research at the Ysgol and the Bird Observatory, he combined everyday language, personal reflections, and scientific terminology to create a poetic record of place.
His second project used Carl Linnaeus’ 18th-century botanical classification system and Erasmus Darwin’s poem The Loves of the Plants as frameworks for examining Enlli’s ecology. Through microscopic study of local flora, Joe created sculptural maquettes that embody each plant’s form, environment, and social symbolism, reinterpreting the island’s natural history through a contemporary, critical lens.
While in Enlli, Joe delivered three workshops and three open-studio sessions. Activities involved gathering words, observations and found materials from residents and visitors as part of the enquiry.