Jane Lawson is an artist who works with fungi to embody alternatives to the dominant cultural narrative which claims that the present economic system is our only realistic option. She also makes diagrams to help her understand the processes and structures that shape human society and our impact on the world - sometimes she combines the two. Her work is informed by her previous involvement in anti-consumerist, environmental and anti-capitalist activism and work as a researcher into corporate ethics at Ethical Consumer magazine.

She’s recently been part of a ten-strong group co-curating Manchester Art Gallery’s Climate Justice gallery which used the gallery’s collection to highlight narratives around colonialism and extractivism. Jane is currently studying Art and Ecology MA at Goldsmiths, where she is making short films looking at how fungi can take us inwards, outwards and beyond.

Jane has worked for Castlefield Gallery in Manchester since 2012, initially running artist development programmes such as Castlefield Gallery Associates and now as the gallery’s Artist Environmental Lead. As part of this role, in 2021 she kick-started SPARK, a network of North West-based artists wanting to intervene in the climate emergency.