Kirsty Banks

I am a visual artist living and working in Cornwall, inspired by the Arctic landscape and the ocean.

My work is shaped by artist residencies in Longyearbyen and circumnavigating Spitsbergen, Svalbard, on an expedition sailboat, exploring the beauty and fragility of sea ice, glaciers, and the disappearing landscapes impacted by climate change. 

Working in mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, and free-motion sewing, I capture the ever-changing nature of these incredible and fragile environments.  Works such as -1.8°C focus on the temperature at which seawater freezes, symbolizing the loss of sea ice as the world warms.

My practice is also evolving into video and film installation of the ocean here in Cornwall, as I document the daily shifts in light and temperature over the ocean during my daily sea swims. Captured through photography and film, my images reflect the constant transformation of the natural world and the urgent need for conservation.

I am also a qualified Art Teacher and the Visual Artist for Rogue Otherworld.