Deloraine artist Fiona Francois will show work exploring the nature of trees at Cradle Mountain Wilderness Gallery.

The contemporary charcoal artist will showcase a series of works, firmly grounded in Tasmanian wilderness, that she has been working on for six years.

Meander Valley residents may know Fiona from Gallery Five on Emu Bay Road in Deloraine, a space that she shares with fellow artists Steve Howells of Deloraine and Patrick Haddock.

‘The majority of pieces are charcoal and pencil drawings with a few mixed media and some oil paintings’, she said.

‘The series began with a 2.5m long drawing called The Fallen.

‘It marked the beginning of my long journey exploring the nature of trees, the environment and our human impact on this island.’

Fiona was formerly a graphic designer working on video games, television and book illustration, but now creates her own imaginative artwork driven by a passion for creating a narrative on environmental issues.

Fiona says of her work, ‘Time, the elements and the scourge of human crusades have engraved a story into the fallen trees of forests long forgotten.

‘Through the twisted limbs and knotted bark, etched lines and burnt scars, a tale emerges of the once mighty kings and queens of ancient forests.

‘These trees may remind us that we have a shared vulnerability to the ravages of time, the weathering, the hardships and the loss, as well as a collaborative need to grow and prosper.’

Fiona’s exhibition, which runs from June 4 to September 19, is interactive.

Under each piece is a QR code linking to online content such as videos, art statements, poems and photos.