Earth Nest / Nyth Ddaear
Plas Glyn Y Weddw, Llanbedrog, 16th May-12th June 2026
Commissioned as part of Coed Coexist
The nest emerges from the earth in the form of a beech nut gently cracking open, within the arms of a fallen beech tree at the very top of Coed Winllan. It is an invitation to slow down and to rest, to be sheltered and held as we melt into the earth and become seeds full of the potential of the land that supports our existence.
Our busy world does not encourage stillness, and yet, the rest of the living world acknowledges the need for rest. The process of discovering the Winllan began in autumn, as the woods were starting to settle down for their winter regeneration process and the ground was covered with beech and acorn nuts burrowing into the soil; and the work was completed in Spring, as those same nuts became saplings, supported by human hands in the onsite tree nursery at Oriel Fyw. Within the nest, our human bodies can have a safe space to rest and yet still be touched by the elements and the magic of the woodlands through the seasons.
The structure is woven from beech and birch twigs cut from the storm damaged branches that surrounded the site where the nest is situated, and the material of the woods led the design process. It provides shelter for both human inhabitants and more than human creatures who take up residence, whilst allowing the shifting light within the woods to act on the space. A mossy pillow is formed from mosses found on the woodland paths, washed out from the craggy landscape and given a new place to thrive, where it offers a place to lie and watch the bats and clouds and the leaves flutter overhead. Over time, treasures are added to the nest – webs created by spiders, tendrils of ivy and honeysuckle, and fragments of beauty found by visitors as they journey through the woods.
During the exhibition period, the journey to and from the nest was a key part of the work- a circular walk through the woodlands was guided by a series of poetic invitations created in close relationship with the landscape itself. The invitations acted as waymarkers whilst also drawing attention to the relationship and sensorial connections between our human bodies and the bodies that make up the woodland ecosystem, and were painted onto textile with dyes created from the bark of different trees in the Winllan – oak, birch, elm and chestnut – as well as woodland understory plants dock and nettle. They too will compost down to feed the woodlands at the end of their lives.
In the gallery a dream score invited visitors into the experience of the Journey to the Earth Nest in their minds, bringing the sensorial experience of the woodlands to those who could not access the steep paths and steps.
The nest remains as an impermanent invitation within the woodlands, accessible via the forest pathways that lead up towards the headland from the gallery and the coast path. It will eventually collapse and decay and return to soil to feed new growth. In the meantime, you are welcome to visit and spend some time there.
The work was commissioned as part of Coed Coexist, an initiative by John Egan and Junko Mori, developed in collaboration with Plas Glyn Y Weddw, following a storm which toppled a 200 year old beech tree in the grounds of the gallery. The project invited artists to respond to the wood as a material for connection, creativity, and our responsibilities towards environmental stewardship and our woodland ecosystems. More than 80 artists took part in the exhibition and associated activities across Spring 2026.
With thanks to Simon Gibbs at Oriel Fyw for the generosity of knowledge sharing about the woodland regeneration programme, and to the team at Plas Glyn Y Weddw for supporting the development of the work through a site responsive residency process.