HEAL reframes painting with biodesign.
Throughout Kirsten’s decade of oil painting she faced one desperate question: how can I keep making paintings when the materials are actively killing me? Unknown in the mainstream, and rarely spoken about in the painting world, are the lethal effects of traditional solvents - like turpentine, turpenoid, gamsol, and mineral spirits - on painters’ health.
Kirsten began researching alternative options. Amongst old painting recipes she came across lavender essential oil. Frequently used in renaissance Italy as a solvent alongside turpentine it fell out of fashion due to its high cost compared to turpentine.
Researching the lavender plant Kirsten discovered its ability as a phytoremediation plant - a type of plant used to clean up soil contaminated with hazardous pollutants. Lavender is a hyperaccumulator for lead making it a frequent candidate for heavy metal phytoremediation.
Synthesising this research Kirsten realised that she could simultaneously heal soil, and heal herself by growing lavender upon contaminated soil, and then distilling it for essential oil for painting.
HEAL culminates with a series of paintings made with a lavender essential oil solvent. The imagery of the paintings comes from microscopy images taken of the project’s lead contaminated lavender - showing that you can create something beautiful from the process of phytoremediation. To create these microscopy images Kirsten worked with The Francis Crick Institute through their Making in Bio Residency.
Exhibiting 2025.
