The Roundhouse Art Project

20 Jul

The Roundhouse Art Project

Camperdown Wildlife Centre has a number of areas which, though part of the zoo and have previously been functional, they no longer provide those functions or are simply in need of some kind of regeneration.

The roundhouse is one such area, which has been empty for a couple of years, most recently providing useful storage for nearby enclosures. However, that function is no longer needed. It was felt therefore the roundhouse would be suitable to act as a canvas for bringing in some artwork, which would not only give the roundhouse a function again, but it would brighten up the zoo. Also if we could persuade a number of artists to contribute, then it would be a project which could reach out into the community as well.

We work closely with our colleagues at EE and we reached out to them to see if they had any artistic employees willing to produce an artwork for the roundhouse. Six people volunteered and the project had started.

The brief was simple, produce an artwork depicting animals from five continents, where some of the animals could be found within the zoo. The five continents were Africa, Asia, Austral Asia and South America, with one of the paintings specifically dedicated to Camperdown itself.

After three months of people working hard in their spare time, the artworks have come together to form the Roundhouse. An artwork in its own right. It is hoped that this is just the beginning of a number of projects where we can bring art into the zoo, not just to brighten up some of the less interesting areas, but also to create an open air exhibition of local artist work.

1. Jennifer Heilbronn

one of the artists standing beside their work

Jennifer is a Dundee-based Scottish textile designer and illustrator whose work explores the relationship between colour, pattern and texture.

A graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, University of Dundee (2014), Jennifer creates bold, contemporary designs inspired by the natural world, everyday observations and the curiosity of childlike wonder. Through the thoughtful use of colour, shape and material, she creates designs that are both playful and carefully considered.

Working across illustration and textiles, Jennifer produces original commissions alongside collections of knitwear, sewn garments and accessories. Her practice combines strong graphic forms with tactile materials, resulting in distinctive pieces that celebrate craftsmanship and the joy found in everyday life.

Instagram: @jenheilbronn

2. Sophie Duncan

Sophie is a Dundee based portrait photographer and painter. She studied Fine Art at Duncan of Jordanstone and was the recipient of the Generator Projects Prize 2023-2024. Working primarily with acrylic paint, her work explores the role of the observer. She captures the beauty of still, pensive moments caught in time. Sophie gives life to her portraits by building up layers of expressive brush strokes and vibrant colours. Starting with the subject’s eyes, she creates depth designed to connect directly with the viewer.

Sophie’s mural is influenced by photographs she took whilst visiting Camperdown Wildlife Centre. She portrays the animals in their vibrant scenery lit by the evening sun, inviting the viewer to join her stroll along the winding path.

3. Morgan Mowatt

I graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone in 2021 with a Fine Art degree, specialising in painting and printmaking. A lot of my earlier work was actually abstract art based on Scottish landscapes! Since then, my style has evolved quite a bit—more recently, I’ve been practicing traditional sign painting and working on freelance murals and signs.

I was so excited to take part in this project for Camperdown Zoo! My group of animals were all native to South America, which gave me the perfect excuse to play with the incredibly vibrant colours found in the birds there. I really wanted to build a lively jungle scene for them. I’ve painted a lot of plant murals in the past, so creating this bold and vivid backdrop felt like the perfect way to bring these amazing animals to life and bring a little bit of the rainforest to the zoo.

Instagram: @morganart_

4. Scott Sutherland

Scott has been drawing for as long as he can remember, long before he had any formal training. That early fascination took shape into a degree in Animation from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, followed by work in the games industry.

After years away from art projects. Scott returned with a piece close to his heart: a mural celebrating the park’s Asian animals. He brought together two influences he’s long admired — the bold linework of Japanese tattoo art and the universal myth of the World Turtle to build something both visually striking and conceptually rich.

At the centre of the piece sits the Asian brown tortoise, reimagined as the mythical bearer of the world, its shell becoming a stage for the menagerie above. Below, the otters get their own space — a nod to their popularity and personality, distinct from the rest. Scott framed the whole scene with an illustrative backdrop and lush, habitat-true flora, pushing the animals forward so they feel alive and present rather than simply painted on a wall.

5. Jamie

Jamie's contribution to the project illustrates animals endemic to the region of Australasia (but narrowed down to just Australia).

Featured are the kangaroo and emu which both appear on the Australian coat of arms, the koala, and the kookaburra. They are set in the Australian outback with eucalyptus trees and Uluru in the distance.

Jamie graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in 2022 with a contemporary art practice degree. He specialises in drawing, preferring small-scale graphite works focusing on human forms and story-telling. Naturally, making a large-scale acrylic painting was a step out of his comfort zone, but a welcome challenge and educational experience.

Phil, an artist standing beside his work

6. Phil McCarlie Davis (Pip)
After leaving school, I went to study art in Newport South Wales, however, my interest in animals soon took priority and I focused on building my career in animal care, with a focus on training and behaviour. Over the years I have been fortunate enough to work with a wide variety of animals including chimpanzees, wolves, lions and tigers to name but a few.

Though my career has been mainly focused around animal care, I have maintained my art practice through personal projects as well as creating art works which can be seen around Camperdown wildlife Centre.

Animals are an amazing subject to study artistically, and I have enjoyed experimenting with different styles working out how best to represent the animals I have worked with.

For the roundhouse project I have produced a couple of pieces, one is designed to be interactive, with multiple textures and shapes, all of which can be touched and explored physically, whilst also incorporating bright colours, and other visual elements.

The second piece is a response to the increase in the illegal wildlife trade, as well as the more recent setting up of animal café’s where people pay to spend time with species such as Capybara and Asian Short clawed otters.

Given the subject matter I wanted the painting to encourage people to stop and think about all the ways that animals are exploited throughout the world, often with a significant impact on the species as a whole. This resulted in a piece which is potentially a little uncomfortable to look at, but the hope is that it will engage people enough for them to want to look into the subject in a little more depth.

I have really enjoyed being part of the roundhouse project, and it has been really interesting seeing how the other artists have interpreted the subject matter and produced some amazing pieces of art.

It is hoped that visitors to the wildlife centre will get as much enjoyment from viewing the artworks as it has been to produce them.
Instagram - @pipdoesart25

Artist, Lesley, standing beside her work

7. Lesley Davidson
Originally from Scotland’s west coast, I moved to Dundee to study at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, graduating in the 1990s with a degree in Fine Art Sculpture.

I later completed a postgraduate qualification at the Cyprus College of Art in Lemba, near Paphos, under the direction of renowned artist Stass Paraskos. During my time in Cyprus, I produced a series of paintings that were later exhibited and sold in Dundee at the former Cul-De-Sac bar in Tay Square.

Alongside my general working life, I have continued to maintain an active creative practice. My work is informed by a longstanding interest in landscape, nature and the built environment. Gardening also provides an endless source of inspiration.

Today, I primarily work in painting, mixed media and lino-cut printmaking. I hope my artwork offers visitors a distinctive interpretation of some of the animals that call Camperdown Wildlife Park home.

For this project, I focused on the park’s European animals. The artwork is set within a Scottish landscape and influenced by Scandinavian design, whose simplicity, clean lines and restrained colour palette provide an effective framework for portraying the animals.

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