Eav Brennan
Naturalist
I make art, tell stories and teach with plants, animals, rocks, fungi and people
I practice creative nature writing through literary comics. My work blends magic realism, folklore and non-fiction with a strong focus on materiality.
Current Project: Anthropocene Naturalist
I am currently exploring ideas around making the curiosity, wonder and whimsy that historically surrounds the naturalist tradition. Working as an environmental educator, I see every day how a single point of connection can help people learn and think about their ecological situation. My work seeks to understand how we can continue such a tradition of observation, mindful existence and care, while righting the colonialist and extractive practices of the past.
Latest blog post
Invertebrates of Intertidal Rock Pools
This is a reflection on what I love about Earth’s evolutionary melting pots. For a documentation of how I made this work, check out this post. Inter x Tidal The spaces that are sometimes on land, and sometimes in the sea are some of the most biodiverse, evolutionarily significant and interesting areas on Earth. Intertidal,…
Character design of Clovelly’s shallows
A crafty format for blending abstraction and observation I made this sewn artist book as a way of processing the forms, shapes, colours, textures and individuals who inhabit the bay at Clovelly on Bidjigal and Gadigal Country. I am making a story about a Blue Grouper in my book, and wanted to be able to…
Past Project: Graphic Ecology, 2024
Published in 2024 with Dr Caitlyn Forster, Graphic Ecology is a comic essay on how to tell ecological stories in comic form.
Forever Project: Mending, upcycling and gathering
Crafting with reclaimed wood and fabric is how I ground my practice in community and family. Employing the techniques I learned from my mother and grandmother in sewing and crochet, gathering to communally craft and trade wares are the moments I feel truly rooted in my ecosystem. I use these approaches to foster care and action for environmental justice.
Eav Brennan 