Artist statement, Devon Tipping

I am a socially engaged illustrator and creative facilitator passionate about using illustration to spark connection, reflection, and meaningful change. My practice centres on the power of visual storytelling and participatory placemaking to deepen people’s relationship with the natural world, to reframe the climate crisis in more hopeful and joyful ways, and create space for collective imagining.

Working across forms—including printmaking, ceramics, community workshops, and events—I shape projects that respond to the skills, needs, and experiences of the people involved. At the heart of my practice is a belief in the social, emotional, and neurological benefits of creative engagement. Every outcome is aimed at empowering individuals on their own terms, offering tools for discovery, self-expression, and agency.

My work often engages directly with communities through workshops and co-creative processes, inviting people to express their visions for a better world—especially those whose voices are often left out of mainstream climate narratives. Projects like Creatures of Change respond to local environmental justice issues while helping participants transform anger and grief into playful, collective acts of resistance and hope.

I’m particularly interested in the intersection of illustration, education, and climate activism—how creative methods can support transformative learning and action. My research explores how visual and tactile knowledge, especially from queer and marginalized perspectives, can contribute to more just and joyful climate futures.

Whether I'm designing participatory workshops, facilitating community illustration projects, or producing traditional artistic works, I aim to centre accessibility, agency, and sustainable values in all I do. My practice invites others into a creative dialogue about what kind of world we want to live in—and how we might build it together.