Gemma Stevens

From Beneath, Towards Silence explores the way that the cycles of growth and decay in nature echo the living conditions of humankind. By observing natural organisms and their roles in ecosystems, Stevens examines the intrinsic connection between humanity and the natural world. She references various organisms that rejuvenate ecosystems through processes of decay and regrowth, as well as those that adapt and thrive. Using these organisms as metaphors, the artist reflects on humanity’s inextricable bond with nature, exploring how much of the human experience can be symbolized through natural processes. This perspective encourages a reexamination of our relationship with decay and challenges the notion of death's finality. In nature, death is as essential as life, feeding living organisms and contributing to the expansion of ecosystems. Through this work, Stevens contemplates our connection to these cycles, finding in them a way to lighten the burdens of existence and grief by reframing life and loss through nature’s lens.