What happens beneath the ocean’s waves is largely out of sight and, for most of us, out of mind.

Despite covering more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, oceans contain some of our least understood ecosystems. Life there has yet to be fully described and, while we’re beginning to understand some of the ocean’s connections to the atmosphere and to ourselves, much still remains to be discovered.

My name is Angela Benn. My embroideries advocate for the ocean. There is breath-taking richness of life there but I am also concerned with the extent and impacts of human actions. We have insinuated ourselves into even the deepest and remotest parts of the ocean.

Having worked for many years as a couture milliner I changed direction to study marine biology and oceanography.

Most of my work is hand embroidery and occasionally I use a sewing machine. Many of the materials are left over from my work as a milliner. The gold threads represent human activity. The torn paper scraps are sections of text from the United Nations Conventions (Law of the Sea, Biological Diversity, etc) from open source academic papers or my own words.

I hope my work will at least hint at the complex issues that now confront us - and what will be lost if we fail to get it right.