Art Exhibition: Expressions of an Intimate Ecology 

Peter Ward, An Ongoing Conversation with Ochre

21 May- 1 July

Monday to Sunday 10am-4pm in the Knepp Wilding Shop

Expressions of an Intimate Ecology – An Ongoing Conversation with Ochre is a powerful and poetic exhibition by ecological artist Peter Ward, showing at the Knepp Wilding Kitchen and Shop Foyer from 21st May 2025.

For over two decades, Peter has worked almost exclusively with natural earth pigments and ochres sourced from his ancestral home in the southwest of England. His process is slow, sensory and grounded—each pigment hand-gathered and ground with stone, each painting a dialogue with the living materials of soil, clay, and rock.

Peter’s deep-rooted relationship with the land offers a unique, embodied insight into the connections between art, ecology, and the more-than-human world. His work invites viewers to slow down, to listen, and to reimagine how we relate to the earth beneath our feet.

As part of the #InspiredByKnepp project, Peter extended this conversation to the Knepp Estate—harvesting chalk, clay, campsite charcoal and ash to make his own site-specific paints. The resulting works speak to the wild, the elemental, and the possibility of creativity as a form of ecological care.

This exhibition features a selection of paintings made with pigments from Devon, Cornwall and Knepp itself, tracing a rich and intimate journey with earth. Peter’s book, Expressions of an Intimate Ecology, published by art.earth in 2023, is available in the shop.