Published on 18, December, 2024
/filters:format(png)/prod01/www-site-cdn-pxl-media/images/news/inga1.jpg)
The work of a talented University of Sunderland PhD researcher is being highlighted in a new exhibition exploring animal-made art.
Inga Hamilton is an autistic sculptor, activist and jeweller. Her PhD researches the things that nonhuman animals make – from slug trails to the bubbles of whales – to examine multispecies belonging, where we all are part of a great web of life. Inga’s artwork work helps us connect more deeply with other species via the things they make.
The Things That Animals Make: talking with & about Animal Artisans presents Inga’s remarkable jewellery inspired by her research into the creativity of nonhuman animals.
Inga, from Northern Ireland, said: “It is my hope that the marvel of our interspecies similarities will engender greater compassion for animals in all our shared landscapes.
“My practice-based PhD uses art jewellery as a novel way for humans to connect with animals through the objects that they make. I share how, by collapsing speciesist boundaries between artisans both human and animal, I am discovering artistic ways to engender compassion for our fellow species, mend our relationships and make the world a better place.”
The Things That Animals Make: talking with & about Animal Artisans is at the National Glass Centre until 9 March 2025.
Inga's research recently led to her being awarded a Global Challenges scholarship to take part in Hard Art’s ‘Animal Huddle’. The special seminar in London discussed ways of shifting humanity’s relationship with animals.
You can find out more about the Global Challenges Scholarship, and other scholarships and bursaries available at the University of Sunderland, HERE.
The Global Challenges scholarship is one of the ways that the University of Sunderland is embedding the UN Sustainable Development Goals into the curriculum. This ensures that students are encouraged to explore issues that they feel passionate about and to consider how they can benefit others. The University aims to support students and graduates to contribute to a world fit for current and future generations.