My name is Joanna Klepadło and I am a naturalist illustrator. Through my work, I hope to spread knowledge and increase sensitivity about biodiversity issues among the public. I am particularly interested in the small-scale details of plants and small organisms that often go unnoticed.
I have a master’s degree in printmaking, with a focus on etching and aquatint. In my master’s work in intaglio technique I drew plants in order to talk about human experiences and feelings. After graduation my purposes for depicting nature started to evolve.
This evolution in my attitude to depicting nature was triggered by moving to the Mediterranean region. While living in Andalucia, I was particularly struck by the beauty and diversity of its flora. This is when I started to draw plants because of their beauty and stories that they seemed to whisper. I stopped using plants to talk only about human experiences and I started drawing botany in order to talk more about plants themselves.
With time I became increasingly interested in natural science and scientific illustration. I realized that drawing could help to popularize knowledge that we all need. Illustration can complete or replace a long passage of text, converting difficult content into an attractive, easy-to-read picture. This can make science much more accessible for wider audiences, helping to raise public environmental awareness and to fight disinformation.
I am currently offering illustrations to accompany publications, as fine art prints and for illustrated products. I hope that, through naturalist illustration, my appreciation of science and nature will encourage others to learn about and care for the natural world.