Dr Epha J. Roe

Ancient trees and the way they hold time.. This beautiful image by @ephajroe is of the Kington Oak at Hergest Croft Gardens, a veteran tree that has stood here for centuries, shaping and witnessing the landscape around it. The Veteran Trees of the Marches is a talk by Josie Bridges (Natural Resources Wales), exploring the ancient trees that define this region — their ecology, history, and the stories they carry. The evening will also be illustrated with images by Epha J. Roe, from Arboreal Encounters — a photographic series documenting heritage oak trees. Tuesday 19th May, 6pm The Oxford Arms, Kington Free entry. (donations welcome) No booking — just arrive early. #Kington #AncientTrees #visitherefordshire

It's one year ago today that I passed my PhD viva with no corrections, marking the beginning of April as one whole year of being a doctor and a consistent anniversary of this oaken achievement. As it's also only six days before my birthday, I now obnoxiously have two things to celebrate within seven days of each other. How gorgeous of me. 🌿 As a result, I thought I would commemorate this date with photographs made on my Olympus OM-2 both on and around the 1st of April. The carousel begins with an image taken by @estherteichmann , my external examiner, of myself, @xavierribas_ & @annebella_pollen , my supervisors-in-chief. From there we've got some exhibition set-up pre-viva; a classic view of the West Pier; bits of interest from the Knepp Estate and two views of a fallen tree in Bishops Meadow, Hereford. It's been one hell of a year. Thanks to everyone who has made it so special 💚 🌿 #bwphotography, #phdjourney, #bw_photography, #shootfilm.

Three interior images of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (or St. Mary's) at Madley, as part of my recce of the site last week. 🌿 They also act as a precursor for the launch of the 'Golden Valley Pilgrim Way', a multidisciplinary project in collaboration between @hca_photography , @hcafineart and Rev. Simon Lockett. The brief asks students and a small number of external artists to creatively respond to the Pilgrim Way, a 60 mile trail that incorporates Herefordshire's apple orchards, sacred sites, ruined castles, beautiful churches and folklore. Approaches and media are open to interpretation and will culminate in an exhibition at Madley Church in May. 🌿 As the project lead, it will be my first time organising and facilitating a multidisciplinary project with external partners. An exciting and challenging new opportunity which I'm looking forward to sharing with you as it grows. I will also be participating in the brief with plans to make work around an old Yew tree in the church grounds. A reference to my PhD beginnings which originally began with the relationship between Yew trees and churchyards as sites (and symbols) of pre-Christian ritual. 🌿 #herefordshireart, #communityarts, #crosscollaboration, #bwphotography.

This month marks a double publication feature for 'Arboreal Encounters'. This time it's for @suboartmagazine and their 55th issue, an international arts magazine for emerging artists. It includes a brief artist bio and an updated statement on the work which I'll include below. Thanks so much to the team for supporting the work. 🌱 Arboreal Encounters explores the cultural and biological histories of six heritage oak trees across England. Moving beyond traditional representations, the series uses cyanotypes toned with tannin extracted with oak bark to physically embed the tree's materiality into their portraits. Rooted in research of plant intelligence, this method challenges views of nature that focus on its consumption by conceiving of the oaks as participants, or co-authors, in the creative process. The project also draws significant attention to forms of "cultural infrastructure" - the physical fences and scaffolding that surround them, but also the mythic stories that work in tandem to maintain the trees' identities as living cultural artefacts. By juxtaposing these preservation efforts with theories of plant intelligence, the project examines how ancient trees are complexly constructed in the human imagination as both museum objects and autonomous beings, whose bodies repel, welcome and occasionally subsume the infrastructure made to preserve them. 🌱 #botanicalart #oaktrees #alternativephotography #analoguephotography #contemporaryartist #cyanotypeprints, #landscapestories #sustainableart.

Extra extra, read all about it. I appear in the March/April issue of @resurgencetrust titled 'Hope as a Radical Act', in a piece written by @herefordarts colleague @_katerinaknight . It contains reflections on the project, its exhibition at @ridgebank , my new role at @hca_photography and my new foray into lavender. 🌱 As a magazine that sustained and influenced the project, it's a dream to have my own feature entrusted into its leafy pages. Does this mean I will be doing more reels where I speak to the camera? Mm, jury's out. You decide.. 🌱 #ruralphotography, #alternativephotography, #resurgenceandecologist, #cyanotypeprint.

I'm happy to announce that my project 'These Rooted Bodies' features in latest issue of Resurgence & Ecologist magazine / @resurgencetrust , under the title of 'Hope as a Radical Act', a publication that explores the intersection of ecology, spirituality and social justice. The feature takes form as a review undertaken by fellow plant collaborator and @herefordarts & @hcatextiles colleague Katerina Knight / @_katerinaknight . Below is a snippet of the review. 🌱 "Roe’s work links to wider philosophical discourses on plant blindness – our tendency to overlook and under-value plants’ vital role in society. Their interest in plant intelligence was sparked after reading Peter Wohlleben’s book The Hidden Life of Trees and encountering the scientist and conservationist Suzanne Simard’s research into forest ecology. “Initially, I was drawn to the scientific enquiry of plant knowledge,” says Roe. “But then I started to question the philosophical implications. If plants have some form of consciousness that doesn’t manifest like human consciousness or human intelligence, but is still a form of awareness or intelligence in its own right, then what does that mean? How should we understand that in a creative context?” Roe’s curiosity about the minds of plants was perhaps an early seed sown by their mother, who insisted that humans are not distinct from animals, an idea that Roe says they extended to the vegetal world too." 🌱 Coincidentally, the magazine was founded by the Indian-British activist and Jain monk, Satish Kumar, whose book 'Soil, Soul, Society' (2013) I read as part of the PhD research. This feature therefore seems somewhat like another cyclical component of the work's lifecycle. Yet another growth ring to the tree of life. 🌱 To become a Resurgence member: /membership To buy the magazine: /magazine/ 🌱 #resurgenceandecologist, #oaktrees, #alternativephotography, #botanicalart.

It's sure been a grey, grey winter with not much sunlight-respite, and the days we've seen some semblance of blue skies I've found myself at work (no bad thing). I've therefore found myself snapping at sunbursts around the college campus during my walks around the corridors. Sneaking into rooms devoid of people but with occasional evidence of their presence. Here are four of those images, made and edited on my slowly eroding smartphone. 🌱 #smartphonephotography, #photooftheday, #herefordcollegeofarts, #bnwphotography, #bnwphoto.

'Print Lab' Announcement! 🌱 Happy Imbolc, everyone. As today marks the coming of Spring and therefore a sense of re-emergence, it seems only fitting to choose today to announce the launch of my new 'Print Lab'. 🌱 Due to the success of selling work at last year's @ridgebank show, I have decided to (finally) put together a space to make purchasing prints easier, accessible and more importantly, more affordable. I am starting with a limited edition print run of 'Queen Elizabeth I Oak' and 'Son of Royal Oak' from my Arboreal Encounters project, running in editions of 12 at £100 each. Rather than the original A2 prints, this limited series are sized at A4, meaning they are perfect for smaller flats, apartments or studios. 🌱 The small size and short edition is to ensure care is taken over every print made, as everything I do is done in my home studio, by which I mean my kitchen. More editions will be added in the coming months, but for the time being the Print Lab will remain a bespoke service. 🌱 Link in Bio for the Lab. Do get in touch directly with any queries! 🌱 #photographicprints, #alternativeprocess, #cyanotypeprints, #contemporaryartist, #botanicalart, #oaktree, #oaktreephotography, #analoguephotography, #alternativephotography.

'Perceiving Phytochrome, Susurration I-III', Digital archival prints on fine art paper in an oak flat-faced moulded frame. W 66.4 x L 146.4cm (it's a big'un) 🌱 What a way to start the year. Earlier this week I was invited to the ceremonial unveiling (or "privy view") of Perceiving Phytochrome's new home, dutifully titled the "loo with a view". Unbeknownst to me, the mature oak who became the subject for this project had a regular observer. After falling in love with the tree's depiction in my solo show 'These Rooted Bodies', and due to their personal connection to the tree, the triptych was purchased with the intention to hang in their bathroom; allowing the buyer to effectively sit between the real tree and its visual representation simultaneously. To be a rose (or acorn?) between two branches, one might say. 🌱 It's moments like this that make the project come alive again during moments of hibernation. Although not quite captured in these images, at a certain angle the real tree pictured in my images can be seen in the reflection of the glass. This mirroring effect, although relatively minor, makes me think about how theories of phyto-photo material connections can be put into practice. An an example of how bringing photographs into poetic and physical proximity with the more-than-human world can help deepen, and expand, out intimate relationships with plants. 🌱 A huge thank you to Caroline Allen / @ridgebank for facilitating the sale, and Alan Kerr / @oldshopframing for your beautiful framing handiwork. Works online, although not (as yet!) immediately purchasable, are available on request. 🌱 #photography, #alternativephotographyprocesses, #experimentalart, #analoguephotography, #alternativephotography, #infrared, #infraredphotography, #alternativephotographyprocesses, #contemporaryartist, #botanicalart, #oaktree, #oaktreephotography.

'Lavender Interludes' (2025), Cyanotype prints made on dried lavender toned watercolour paper & a sprig of dried lavender displayed on a plinth. Lavender gifted by @_katerinaknight . W 21 x L 29.7 cm. 🌱 As part of my contribution to @ridgebank contemporary art space's group exhibition titled 'Metamorphosis', I have some new work in progress displayed. It forms some of the R&D for a new project on queer ecology and the lavender plant. The images are self-portraits in the style of Duane Michal's series of sequential images, and a single image depicting a dried lavender triangle — a reference to the pink triangle. 🌱 The show opened last Saturday (22nd) and will be on until the 3rd of Jan 2026. RidgeBank Contemporary Art Space opens Weds - Sat, 12-5PM. 🌱 #queerartist, #lgbtart, #queerecology, #photography, #alternativephotographyprocesses, #experimentalart, #analoguephotography, #alternativephotography, #alternativephotographyprocesses, #photographyexhibition, #contemporaryartist.

I'm pleased to say I will be taking part in 'Metamorphosis', a group exhibition at @ridgebank contemporary art space. The show will open on Saturday 22nd of November until the 3rd of Jan and explore the vast theme of transformation. My personal contribution relates to my new project on lavender. I will be showing alongside fellow local artists: 🌱 @jessallenartist ~ @janecaston ~ @beadoodlebug ~ @rebeccabaddeley_fineart ~ @jamesburnettstuartpottery ~ @janekoconnor ~ @martleyian ~ @ricketts.rachel ~ @elizavalerie1 ~ @wsummers555 ~ @matprice ~ @matildasuttonart . 🌱 A snippet of my personal statement for the group exhibition. "For Metamorphosis, Epha has made new work themed around the plant lavender. Between the 1930’s and 70’s, lavender became a symbol of queer identity, shifting from a derogatory term into a mark of self-determination. The works displayed approach the symbolism that lavender plays in LGBT+ culture and how terminology, and identity, might demonstrate less visible, but no less valuable, forms of personal transformation". 🌱 I look forward to sharing more details in the near future.

'Lavender Interludes', Digital self portraits at my dining table, October 2025. 🪻 Three self portraits (including details) with lavender in the style of Duane Michals. Part of a exploratory series where I intentionally draw reference from #queer artists between the 1920's and 70's. Part exercise in aesthetics, part return to my original style of turning the camera on myself to discuss notions of identity. Already the project has brought up unexpected emotional energy that I've had to sit with. What initially felt like a potentially objective project (perhaps naively so), has all of a sudden made me realise the implications of placing my body, symbolically, into a place, and therefore a time, where I was far more vulnerable than I am now. 🪻 Already the project is teaching me to concentrate more on the symbolic elements of lavender - an avenue I intentionally avoided with the oak tree. This will mark a distinct shift if followed, but I look forward to where it takes me.