Rachel Bigsby Exhibits as Guest Artist at Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025
Award-winning wildlife photographer Rachel Bigsby has been invited to exhibit as a Guest Artist at Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025, the internationally recognised annual exhibition presented by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF).
Held at London's Mall Galleries, the exhibition brings together outstanding wildlife artists from around the world, celebrating the beauty and diversity of the natural world while raising vital funds for wildlife conservation.
Rachel's invitation represents a significant milestone in her artistic career, providing an opportunity to present her distinctive fine-art photography alongside an exceptional collection of paintings, sculptures and other wildlife artworks.
Her exhibited photographs celebrate the extraordinary beauty of Britain's seabirds, the subjects that have shaped more than a decade of her photographic practice, artistic development and conservation advocacy.
‘Fish Flight’, an early courtship behaviour of Arctic Terns, captured by Rachel Bigsby.
Celebrating Seabirds Through Fine Art
For Rachel, exhibiting at the Mall Galleries carried particular personal significance. Having dedicated much of her career to photographing seabirds across Britain and the world's oceans, she has developed a distinctive artistic approach that seeks to reveal the character, elegance and emotional depth of species often overlooked in traditional wildlife art.
Through an intimate understanding of her subjects and an experimental approach to photographic composition, Rachel creates images that move beyond conventional wildlife portraiture, exploring the relationship between natural behaviour, artistic expression and the marine environment. Her work challenges audiences to reconsider the artistic significance of familiar coastal species, presenting seabirds with the same reverence traditionally afforded to some of the world's most celebrated wildlife.
Reflecting on the exhibition, Rachel said:
“To see my work hanging on the walls of the Mall Galleries was a moment I will never forget. These images show our seabirds as the beautiful, powerful creatures they are; every bit as captivating as the iconic African Big Five. Sharing them on this stage felt like giving them the recognition they deserve.”
Where Wildlife Art Meets Conservation
Founded in honour of the celebrated wildlife artist and conservationist David Shepherd, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation has long championed the relationship between artistic expression and wildlife protection.
Its annual Wildlife Artist of the Year exhibition provides an international platform for artists working across a diverse range of media, united by a shared appreciation of the natural world and a commitment to its conservation.
At least 50% of the proceeds from artworks sold through the exhibition support the Foundation's conservation projects, demonstrating the tangible contribution that creative expression can make to protecting threatened wildlife and habitats.
For Rachel, whose photographic practice is inseparable from her conservation commitments, the exhibition reflects a philosophy that has guided her career: art has the power not only to inspire admiration for wildlife, but to encourage understanding, empathy and meaningful action.
The opening celebration brought together approximately 200 artists, alongside conservationists and supporters of the Foundation. Rachel joined fellow wildlife artist Zoe Fitchet, met artist Melanie Mascarenhas, whose work has been a source of personal inspiration, and celebrated with members of the international wildlife art community.
She also expressed her gratitude to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and its Chief Executive, Georgina Lamb, for the invitation and their continuing commitment to protecting the natural world through art.