kirsten-tingle__unknown__ual__2025

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School: RCA
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Year: 2025
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Source: https://ualshowcase.arts.ac.uk/project/644438/cover

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# Project Description

Heal: Reframing Painting With Biodesign

Kirsten Tingle

Summary

Final work

Kirsten Tingle is a Scottish artist currently based between London and New York City. Her latest body of work combines mycelium fabrication, place-based phytoremediation, and traditional oil painting techniques to reimagine painting practice in the time of climate crisis.

She has exhibited/performed at The Chan Gallery in LA; Pioneer Works, Vent, Chashama, and Phyliss Harriman Gallery in NYC; Biocalibrate Symposia, Broadworks, The Lethaby Gallery, and Safehouse in London; The Guidecca Satellite in Venice, Italy; The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland; and The Kyoto Arts Center in Japan.

Kirsten is an alum of the US-UK Fulbright and Sutton Trust US Program.

Kirsten Tingle is a Scottish artist currently based between London and New York City. Her latest ...

College Central Saint Martins

Course MA Biodesign

Graduation year 2025

Throughout Kirsten’s oil painting career 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 on painters’ health.

Amongst old painting recipes Kirsten 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. Researching lavender Kirsten discovered its ability as a phytoremediator - a type of plant used to clean up contamination. Lavender is a hyperaccumulator for lead making it a frequent candidate for heavy metal phytoremediation.

HEAL culminates with a series of paintings made with lavender essential oil solvent. The imagery of the paintings comes from microscopy images taken of lead contaminated lavender - showing that you can create something beautiful from the process of phytoremediation.

Final work

HEAL.

This painting is made with 100% lavender essential oil solvent. The imagery was generated in collaboration with The Francis Crick Institute. 160cm x 180cm, 2025.

Heal System

The new phytoremediation process of painting involves: lavender essential oil; contaminated lavender; paint; mycelium; and paintings.

In Amidst

This painting is made with 100% lavender essential oil solvent. The imagery was generated in collaboration with The Grow Lab at Central Saint Martins. A5, 2025.

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Research and process

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Micro-CT imaging of Lavender

Lavender under the microscope

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Throughout Kirsten’s oil painting career 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 on pa...

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# Links

## Official page
- https://ualshowcase.arts.ac.uk/project/644438/cover

## External
- https://www.instagram.com/kirstentingle
- https://kirstentingle.com
- mailto:kirsten.tingle@gmail.com
- https://forms.arts.ac.uk/client-enquiry-form/
- https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fualshowcase.arts.ac.uk%2Fproject%2F644438%2Fcover&text=Heal%3A+Reframing+Painting+With+Biodesign
- https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fualshowcase.arts.ac.uk%2Fproject%2F644438%2Fcover&media=https%3A%2F%2Fportfolio-tools.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F06%2F03232720%2Fk-with-lav-photo-shoot-long-version-Large-1.jpeg&description=Heal%3A+Reframing+Painting+With+Biodesign