Jonny Harris
"I’m a multidisciplinary visual artist with over 20 years of experience in digital design, animation and visual storytelling, alongside a growing practice in woodblock printmaking and mixed media. My work blurs the boundaries between analogue and digital, sitting at the intersection of art and design, and balancing both commercial and cultural dimensions.
I hold an MA in Digital Film and Animation from London Metropolitan University, funded by the AHRB, and previously studied Contemporary Art at Manchester Metropolitan University, following early training at Leeds Art College.
I co-founded the award-winning animation studio Playdead in Glasgow, where I led the creative direction on projects for clients including National Geographic, the BBC and the Oscar-nominated documentary Virunga. Our short film Wildless screened at over 25 international film festivals and featured as an installation at Kelvingrove Art Gallery. I’ve collaborated with organisations such as the Design Museum and served as a judge for BAFTA Scotland and the Royal Television Society.
Now based in Moray, my current work explores themes of landscape and ecology, drawing on permaculture as both a practical approach and a philosophical framework. I’m fascinated by the concept of ‘edgelands’, spaces where unexpected outcomes emerge and drive innovation, and this mindset informs my exploration of new ideas and creative solutions.
Recent artistic projects include commissions from the Edinburgh Futures Institute and the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands project, as I continue to explore myths of nature, folklore and our shifting relationship with the natural world. I’m also interested in questioning the commodification of creativity, and how artistic practice can evolve into a more sustainable way of thinking, making and living, particularly in relation to land-based projects."
