Alice Malia

Alice, a mural artist with a theatre background, seeks to bring her local mapping project to life by collaborating with landscape historian Tim Johnson. Alice, an artist fascinated by local history and its connection to nature, created a mural, visually narrating the island's rich history. Beyond aesthetics, their project aimed to reflect on the relationship between wildlife, human settlement, and the landscape. This challenged the community to reconsider their understanding of wildlife and the environment. In their research, they discovered surprising connections between place names and creatures, like Yaverland meaning boar land. Other names, such as Fishbourne meaning fish stream, carried hidden meanings that had faded over time.

She wants to animate the landscape, bridging the gap between domesticated and wild spaces and engaging people with their surroundings. They felt the Ryde Arts window residency would be ideal for further developing the visuals. With experience in public art, Alice finds the interaction with the audience intriguing. She envisions scaling up the animal visuals on the map. The project combines scientific illustration, mapping, infographics, and murals, requiring careful representation of extensive information. Alice is thrilled about exploring historical landscapes and experimenting with topographical representation. She believes that visually depicting places and species can bridge the gap between domestic and wild environments, fostering a deeper appreciation for both.