North Yorkshire artist's Richmond exhibition to help protect tropical forests

A Fifty Million Year Old Smile, by Claire Milner (Image: Claire Milner)

A painting exhibition from a North Yorkshire-based artist is helping to protect tropical forests as part of a unique collaboration between art and conservation.

Artist Claire Milner’s solo show, Gardeners of Eden, will be on view at NoonPowell Fine Art in Richmond from 18 September to 4 October 2026.

The exhibition features a new body of work developed over the past two years and continues her exploration of landscape, environmental research, and material process.

Ms Milner said: "Art has long responded to the defining questions of its time.

"My work begins with nature, not only as a source of imagery but as something to which art can remain physically and ethically connected.

"The paintings I create allow my practice to extend beyond the studio, contributing to the conservation of the landscapes and wildlife that inspire it, enabling the work to have a tangible impact on long-term environmental stewardship in a way that feels both necessary and urgent."

The centrepiece of the exhibition is a collaboration with US artist and conservationist Dr Haley Mellin and the artist-founded non-profit Art into Acres.

Through this partnership, the sale of one painting will contribute directly to the permanent protection of tropical forests in Suriname.

Dr Mellin said: "Claire's work reminds us that art can do more than depict the beauty of the natural world — it can help protect it.

"By directing the sale of this painting toward the permanent protection of Suriname's tropical forests under Saamaka leadership, this collaboration demonstrates how artists, galleries, collectors, and conservation organizations can work together to create lasting environmental impact."

The painting, titled The Hidden and the Revealed, responds to Suriname’s commitment to safeguarding one of the world’s largest intact tropical forest ecosystems.

Suriname is one of the few carbon-negative countries globally, with the highest percentage of forest cover of any nation.

All proceeds from the sale of the painting will be donated by Claire Milner and NoonPowell Fine Art.

The contribution will be matched by Art into Acres’ conservation partners Re:wild, the Zangrillo Family Foundation, and One Small Planet to complete the protection of 720,000 hectares of tropical forest.

The funds will support community-led conservation efforts by the Saamaka people.

Ms Milner's paintings draw on the tradition of landscape art while engaging with contemporary ecological thought.

She depicts forests, oceans, and wildlife through layered surfaces that reward sustained observation and reflection.

The works consider themes such as wildfire-altered landscapes, the continuity and fragility of marine ecosystems, nocturnal rainforests, and the ecological significance of elephants as keystone species.

Ms Milner’s artistic process is deeply rooted in materiality, with each piece created using sustainably sourced natural mineral pigments formed over millions of years, connecting the work’s medium to the geological histories of the environments depicted.

Rachael Noon-Powell, gallery director, said: "Claire’s work has an extraordinary ability to draw viewers into the natural world through closer observation and discovery.

"We are proud to present Gardeners of Eden and to support a collaboration that demonstrates how art can inspire meaningful action beyond gallery walls."

Ms Milner is based in North Yorkshire and has exhibited internationally, including at COP26.

Her work is held in public and private collections worldwide, and she continues to collaborate with environmental organisations to support conservation efforts.