Known for her use of vivid hues, London-based artist Morag Myerscough was inspired by her mother, a textile artist who manipulated fabrics with vegetable dyes at their home. “I understood from a young age the impact, beauty, and strength of color,” she says. That evolved into an early interest in growing flowers, which would eventually morph into her biophilic designs. “I see my work as flowers blooming and bringing joy,” she says. “I’m endeavoring to do work that people can connect to and get a sense of belonging from.”
For Myerscough, community is her centerpiece and many of her projects can be found in public areas, such as the Make Happy installation for PMQ Design’s pavilion in Hong Kong, as well as an internal courtyard she’s currently crafting at Sheffield Children’s Hospital in England.
Her latest is the biophilic-designed Atoll, a permanent installation at 1 Finsbury Avenue Square in London that encourages passersby to use the newly accessible route that connects the surrounding neighborhood with the city’s Broadgate area. Featuring bright furniture, all surfaces were painted by hand in layers with water-based paints, ensuring the deepest colors possible. In addition, bespoke laser-cut mosaic tiles instill “a wonderful feeling of permanence,” says Myerscough.
Often surrounded by plants, her work, she explains, is centered on the simple premise that “humans have an innate tendency to seek connections with nature.”
Myerscough’s permanent installation Atoll features handpainted surfaces and laser-cut mosaic tiles
Photos by Gareth Gardner and courtesy of Morag Myerscough
This article originally appeared in HD’s February 2020 issue.
