PhD student Inga Hamilton was funded to travel from her home in Ireland to London to discuss her unique research into the art of nonhuman animals. She took part in an arts seminar organised by legendary music producer and artist Brian Eno, and Clare Farrell, co-founder of Extinction-Rebellion, with the support of the Global Challenges scholarship.
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, and connect more deeply with other species via the things they make.
She says: “It is my hope that the marvel at our interspecies similarities will engender greater compassion for animals in all our shared landscapes.”
Inga has spun yarns for the late Alexander McQueen at Gucci, represented Irish craft in the American Irish Historical Society, New York and received the Association of Contemporary Jewellers 2020 Graduate Award.
With the support of the Global Challenges Scholarship Inga travelled to London to take part in a Hard Art’s ‘Animal Huddle’. A group of hand-picked people discussing ways of shifting humanity’s relationship with animals. Hard Art is a new, artistic thinkers and creators collective created by Brian Eno, artist and music producer, and Clare Farrell, co-founder of Extinction-Rebellion. The collective develops “cultural responses to the major critical issues facing the world today” and explores how creativity can shape a better society.
“The scholarship provided all the travel funds I needed,” says Inga. “However, the impact is far more than just travel. It placed me in an arena with representatives of global foundations and cutting-edge research.
“I gave a presentation about my practice-based PhD - how I use art jewellery as a novel way for humans to connect with animals through the objects that they make. I shared 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.
“It was an opportunity to discuss human-animal relations in multiple contexts, from farming, to conservation, to wildlife. Many important conversations were initiated, across construction and architecture, aeronautical biomimicry, film, fashion and law.
This met my application’s objective to apply artistic creativity to problems such as extinction, biodiversity and connection to nature (all in UN Goal 15’s Targets 4, 10 and 12). Discussions led to the initiation of multiple alternative solutions. So many, that we will be continuing these discussions through online documents and connections.”
As well as attending the Animal Huddle Inga had a meeting at Brian Eno’s studio, she met Ella Saltmarshe, writer, podcaster and co-founder of the Long-Time Project, and was able to explore the V&A jewellery collection, helping her plan her upcoming research exhibition.
Inga added: “As an autistic, disabled student living in the far-west of Northern Ireland the scholarship provided accommodation close to the meeting venues in central London, something I could not have afforded without the scholarship.
“I hope the collective power of artists connecting other sectors and citizens with animals will begin to shift humanity’s relationship with nature. This scholarship helped make that happen. Thank you.”