This June Cornwall based artist Jess Pemberton will be artist-in-residence with Exeter Marine at the University of Exeter's Penryn campus.
Arts and Culture, University of Exeter, together with the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI), are pleased to announce Cornwall-based artist Jess Pemberton as the recipient of an artist residency at Exeter Marine, delivered in partnership with Creative Kernow Associates.
The four-week residency supports emerging creative practitioners to engage with cutting-edge research taking place at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus throught July 2026. Through dedicated time, space, and access to researchers, the programme creates opportunities for artists to develop new work inspired by urgent environmental questions and contemporary research.
The residency focuses on UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water, exploring the protection and restoration of marine ecosystems through creative practice and interdisciplinary collaboration.
I am most looking forward to collaborating with marine experts at the forefront of their research fields, particularly in the wake of increasing disinformation online and not quite knowing where to turn. Having focused on forests, I am thrilled to turn my focus to our oceans, to better understand the rythmns and life of our waters. Over the last few years, I have been increasingly aware that our oceans are vital, and I know little of the challenges these habitats and their occupants face. I relish the opportunity to change this and and contribute to the conversation.
About the Residency: Working with Exeter Marine
During the residency, Jess will be embedded within Exeter Marine, a diverse community of researchers whose work aligns closely with UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water.
Exeter Marine researchers investigate some of the most pressing challenges facing our oceans, from marine biodiversity loss and ecosystem resilience to conservation, climate change, and sustainable management of marine environments. The residency offers an opportunity for creative exchange between artistic practice and marine science, encouraging new ways of understanding and communicating ocean research.
Throughout the four weeks, Jess will engage with researchers across a range of disciplines and career stages, gaining insight into the breadth of marine research taking place at the University of Exeter. Through conversations, workshops, site visits, and independent research, she will explore themes of marine life, environmental futures, and non-human perspectives on the ocean.
The residency is intended as a space for experimentation, dialogue, and discovery. Rather than working towards a predetermined outcome, the process will allow ideas to emerge through collaboration and creative enquiry. The resulting work will offer new ways of engaging with marine research and encourage audiences to reflect on the future of ocean conservation and humanity's relationship with the natural world.
The residency will culminate in the development of new creative work, with the intention of presenting a small-scale exhibition or creative sharing event on campus, curated in partnership with the Arts and Culture team. Alongside the creation of new work, Jess will share elements of her research and creative process with the University community through an open studio session and informal engagement opportunities.
About the Residency: The Environment and Sustainability Institute
Jess will be based within the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus throughout the residency.
The ESI is an interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to building sustainable futures, creating healthy and resilient ecosystems, and supporting biodiversity renewal. Bringing together researchers from across disciplines, the institute provides a collaborative environment in which creative practice and academic research can intersect.
The ESI's dedicated creative studio space will provide Jess with a base for research, experimentation, and engagement with the wider university community during her residency.
One of the things that makes this residency so exciting is the opportunity it gives an artist to immerse themselves in a very specific area of research. Spending time with Exeter Marine's researchers offers the chance for Jess to ask questions and explore ideas in a way that simply wouldn't have been possible otherwise. Jess's practice is rooted in curiosity and playful observation, making her a brilliant fit for this residency, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what work emerges from these conversations.
University of Exeter
Room 153, Queen's Building
The Queen's Drive
Exeter EX4 4QH
