About Gemma

Gemma Harwood is a British artist whose work spans a wide range of materials, techniques, and visual styles. She first gained national recognition as a finalist in the 2004 B.P. Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery, London, an accolade that placed her among the most promising emerging portrait artists of her generation. Since then, Gemma has continued to develop a distinctive body of work defined by experimentation, craftsmanship, and a deep sensitivity to the natural world and the landscapes that inspire her.

Working across mediums including linen, stone, graphite, collage, and mixed media, Gemma brings a thoughtful, tactile quality to every piece she creates. Her ability to move fluidly between traditional and contemporary materials reflects both technical versatility and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of her artistic practice.

Gemma completed her B.A. in Art at the University of Surrey, Roehampton (1999–2002), where she refined her observational skills and began exploring the interpretive potential of maps, geography, and natural forms—interests that continue to shape her work today.

Innovative Work: “Map Trees”

Among Gemma’s most celebrated series is her innovative concept of Map Trees. These artworks combine cartography with natural imagery to create layered, contemplative pieces that are both visually striking and conceptually rich. Using carefully selected maps—often vintage or regionally significant—Gemma applies them to wooden panels, working into their surfaces with drawing, collage, and, at times, delicate applications of metal leaf.

Each finished piece preserves the geographical accuracy of the original map while transforming it into a new visual narrative. Rivers and roads become branches and roots; topographic lines echo the contours of bark and foliage. The result is a harmonious intersection of place, memory, and nature, inviting viewers to reconnect with landscapes both familiar and distant.

Gemma’s Map Trees have been showcased at major art fairs across London, New York, and Hong Kong, where they consistently attract enthusiastic audiences and collectors. Works featuring British Ordnance Survey (OS) maps in particular have become some of her most sought‑after pieces. Their meticulous detail, combined with the symbolic interplay between mapping and natural forms, means they often sell out quickly at exhibitions and fairs.

Through this series and her broader body of work, Gemma continues to explore how art can deepen our understanding of place, identity, and the quiet but powerful connections between geography and the natural world.