Bea Forshall

Bea Forshall brief biography

I was born in South West France in 1992, where I spent most of my childhood. In 2003, we moved to Catalonia and in 2005, back to Britain. From a young age I was interested in wildlife and my work mainly revolves around animals and conservation. I find the natural world an infinite source of inspiration.

I began drypoint engraving during my last year at Falmouth College of Art. I enjoy the graphic quality and the detail that can be achieved. From working into the metal, to the inking of the plate, and the rolling of the press, there are many different things that contribute to the final image, and as well as those which I can control, there is also an element of surprise at the end of it. It is quite an addictive medium.

The world is undergoing the greatest mass extinction of species since that of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. These extinctions are symptoms of a process in which we play a leading role and which will make the planet a less beautiful place and our life here less comfortable, at best. We need to recognise that humans do not have overriding claims to the planet's resources and that this small miracle in a vast, hostile universe should be shared.

Whatever the technological possibilities, it is necessary for our own survival and of those with whom we share the planet, that we consume less. I hope that my illustrations of endangered species will help to reconcile people to this unappealing prospect and make them realise that we are all paying a far greater price than that which is printed on the label.

Currently a percentage of the sales of some of my prints goes towards frontline conservation projects.

www.beaforshall.com

Bea Forshall is the current artist in residence with the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, a growing collaboration between researchers, policy makers and practitioners from the University of Cambridge and leading biodiversity conservation organisations. Alongside specialists within CCI, she is working on an exhibition to be held later in 2017 in their headquarters, the appropriately-named David Attenborough Building.

To date Bea has worked with the International Union for Conservation of Nature, ICUN; TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network; BirdLife International and Flora and Fauna International. She is preparing 20 works for the exhibition, Printing the Red Book, which focuses on key species threatened by the wildlife trade.

See also conservation.cam.ac.uk