Eleanor Havsteen-Franklin’s etchings are inspired by detailed drawing studies of flora, fauna and organic forms. Her work focuses on visually embodying the interwoven relationship between botanical and biological forms, in order to reflect on the fragility and resilience of ecosystems and human life. She encourages foul biting on the copper plate during the etching process to create a textured surface and a dialogue between the intentional drawn lines and random marks. The etching plate is printed in different colour hues; investigating the idea of the multiple print and how the different colour combinations change the intensity and reflections of the subject matter within the image. At times, the surface of the print is explored further by stitching into the printed Japanese paper.

Since her MA in Printmaking from Camberwell College in 2007, she has exhibited widely in the UK and abroad.

Solo exhibitions include Gyldendal, Copenhagen (2019), De Queeste Belgium (2018); Watford Museum (2012) and 1st prize ‘Pushing Print’ solo show, Margate (2013). Other awards include BITE and Eastern Open. Group exhibitions include Koppel Project; Kyoto City Art Museum, Japan; Creekside Open; RA Summer exhibitions; Guanlan Print Biennale, Northern Print Biennale and WCPF in 2016 with Dekkle Print Studio.

She curated the exhibition ‘The Poetics of Otherness’ at the Pratt Institute, New York (2019) and has been awarded three AA2A schemes, combining 2013-14 with a residency at Butterfly World. Her collaborations include a publication with the poet Thofner (2016), and with the scientist Dr. Torode, whose plant research inspired her work for the Cambridge Science festival (2018). She has recently started collaborating with the plant scientist Dr. Schornack, Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University.