Ricki Klages Artist Bio

As a native of the American West, my perspective is deeply rooted in the landscapes of

Wyoming and the Southwest. However, my frequent travels to the United Kingdom—driven by

deep familial ties to London and Southern England—have resulted in a unique duality to my

perspective. This decade-long dialogue between these two distinct environments serves as the

primary inspiration for this body of work.

My exhibition is of a series of tree portraits. My work is an exploration of

time, memory, and the endurance of the natural world in the shadow of human expansion.

Through my paintings, I document the ancient Beech trees of Epping Forest, a landscape that

survives as a wild relic of the last ice age on the periphery of London. These trees bear the literal

marks of history; shaped by centuries of pollarding and charcoal harvesting, their distorted

growth patterns grant each subject a singular, sculptural "personality." To stand before them is

to witness a profound gravitas—a testimony to nature's ability to maintain a sacred, wild space

even when surrounded by an urban population.

This investigation of longevity has led me to a series focusing on the Aspen. While the Beech

stands as a solitary monument, the Aspen represents a different kind of permanence: the

collective. Despite their delicate, transitory appearance, Aspens are ancient survivors that grow

in "family groups" or clones. Their true life force remains hidden underground in a massive,

interconnected root system, proving that what is fleeting to the eye is often anchored by an

eternal foundation.