Frances Gynn is a Devon-based contemporary artist whose drawings, paintings, original prints and public performances explore urgent environmental issues including plastic pollution, habitat destruction, deforestation, and species decline. Through an expressive and process-led practice, Gynn creates powerful contemporary artworks that examine humanity’s complex relationship with the natural world.
Gynn graduated with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from the University of Exeter in 2000 and has since exhibited widely across the UK. Her work has featured in the prestigious Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, while in both 2018 and 2019 she was selected for the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. In 2018, she was awarded a Fellowship at the Bogliasco Foundation in Italy, and in 2019 she was elected as a Royal West of England Academy Academician (RWA).
At the heart of Frances Gynn’s artistic practice is a deep engagement with ecology and environmental change. Her paintings and drawings often depict vulnerable organisms, endangered species, and fragile ecosystems, using layered surfaces and experimental mark-making to reflect processes of erosion, disappearance, and transformation.
Her acclaimed Public Erasure projects invite audiences to physically erase drawn images of endangered species as part of an interactive performance, creating a poignant reflection on extinction, loss, and collective responsibility. This participatory approach has become a defining element of her contemporary environmental art practice.
Process plays a vital role in Gynn’s work. She builds surfaces through layers of diluted oil paint, paint resists, sanding, and castings taken from discarded plastic objects, embedding traces of environmental damage directly into the materiality of the artwork itself. These tactile and atmospheric surfaces create works that are visually compelling while carrying a strong ecological message.
Frances Gynn’s contemporary paintings and drawings are sought after for their emotional depth, experimental surfaces, and timely exploration of environmental themes. Her work resonates with collectors interested in contemporary British art that combines conceptual rigour with powerful visual impact.
Explore available artworks & original prints by Frances Gynn RWA
