Nature and Art Education 

Nature and Art Education is an interdisciplinary programme that offers students a comprehensive journey through the intertwined relationship between the natural world and visual arts. It is designed to combine creative expression with ecological awareness and sustainability, using both traditional fine arts and digital media.

The course of the programme is structured as a progressive exploration, starting with the historical and cultural foundations of different representations of nature in art, both on a global scale and through local heritage. Combining theory and practice, following significant examples, and working through various approaches to the subject, students engage in fieldwork, research, and practice. Starting from observational drawing and painting, they gradually transition from quick sketches and detailed realism to abstraction. This process encourages slow viewing and readiness for creative exploration, where the natural environment serves as both a subject and a primary source of inspiration. Students will experiment with sustainable methodologies, utilising nature itself as a medium through Land Art and eco-art practices to address contemporary nature conservation challenges.

The programme also expands the field of traditional art by integrating new technologies, allowing students to construct artistic installations and virtual imagery using digital tools, with the aim of creating new immersive spatial experiences that redefine our perception of landscape.

Beyond technical outcomes, the programme emphasises pedagogical research. Students will develop skills to implement these practices in educational settings, conducting field surveys in elementary schools to evaluate the role of nature-based art in modern curricula. By the end of the programme, participants will have developed their own practice-based research portfolio, equipping them with artistic experience and basic ecological literacy necessary for a professional career in 21st-century art and education.

General learning outcomes

• Students will be able to synthesise historical and contemporary perspectives on the relationship between nature and art, both globally and within local contexts.
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in diverse artistic methodologies, ranging from classical observational drawing to abstract synthesis and digital world-building.
• Students will be able to implement eco-conscious creative research by utilising natural materials and site-specific improvisational techniques to address environmental conservation.
• Students will develop the capacity to design, conduct, and evaluate art education research and field surveys within elementary school environments.