DEBORAH PELLING

I have been shaped by living in a place where land still outweighs population, and where nature remains a dominant presence rather than a backdrop. In environments where forests, shorelines, mountains, rivers, and open space are not yet overtaken by density, speed, or constant development, the land quietly sets the tone for how life is lived.
Here, space matters. Silence is possible. Distance and weather still shape daily experience. These conditions foster qualities that are subtle but profound — humility, patience, attentiveness, and a felt awareness of being part of something larger than ourselves.
I was once reminded of this through the eyes of visitors encountering this scale of land for the first time — astonished by the idea that one could walk in nature without interruption, without crowds, without spectacle. For many who live within such landscapes, this becomes so familiar that it risks being overlooked. Yet globally, such experiences are increasingly rare.
These environments do more than offer beauty; they influence how we think, how we relate to one another, and how we understand our place in the world. When nature remains present and intact, it quietly resists domination and excess, reminding us that coexistence, rather than control, is essential to balance. My work — whether in painting or moving image — is informed by this relationship with land and space. It is not an attempt to document place, but to reflect the values that emerge when nature is still allowed to lead: balance, interdependence, restraint, and reverence. These qualities shape not only landscapes, but the inner landscapes of those who live among them.