Visitors to the Richmond Nature Park can now enjoy the new public artwork, Visions of Biophilia, by artist Desirée Patterson. The project’s legacy artwork is a digitally created mural made up of prints contributed by community members.

The mural depicts the Fraser River in a layered composition illustrating the geological history of the Richmond Nature Park. The river’s bends and delta is inspired by satellite imagery of the Fraser River, and includes a mountainous collage of the river’s headwaters. Ice crystal cyanotype prints created by the artist symbolically represent the migration of arctic plants during the ice age that formed Lulu Island’s raised peat bog habitat.

This project was commissioned by Richmond Public Art’s Engaging Artists in Community Program in partnership with the Richmond Nature Park Society. The project produced more than 200 photographic expressions by community members who took part in artist-led workshops held last spring through fall. At the workshops, visitors learned about the park’s natural ecosystem and participated in hands-on alternative photo-making techniques, including anthotype, cyanotype and lumen printmaking.

The newly installed mural is located at the entrance to the Richmond Nature Park (11851 Westminster Highway), open daily from dawn to dusk. The Nature House is also open to visitors daily from 9:00am to 5:00pm.
For more information about the Richmond Nature Park, visit richmond.ca/NaturePark.

Artist Bio
Desirée Patterson is a Vancouver-based artist and environmental activist. Working through lens-based and traditional media, she creates community-engaged art projects that highlight people’s connection to nature with an aim to promote environmental stewardship and preservation.

For more information about the project, visit desireepatterson.com/visions-of-biophilia