The Nature of Being is a vibrant and immersive collection of paintings inspired by the intricate beauty of insects and plant life, by sculptor and painter Romany Mark Bruce. The series was born from a fleeting, almost magical moment: a ladybird landing briefly on the nose of Romany’s Irish Terrier. Unable to capture the instant with a camera, Bruce turned instead to paint, translating the moment of into colour and form.

Known for work that bridges the natural and the symbolic, Bruce is also the creator of the Brighton and Hove AIDS Memorial, which stands in the New Steine, Brighton. His monograph, Sculpting Colour, celebrating 30 years of artistic practice, was published in 2024.