Art Exhibition: Eden Project Marks 25 Years with Landmark Art Exhibition ‘Spirit of the Harvest’ by John Dyer

The Eden Project - the iconic Eco visitor attraction in Cornwall, UK - is currently showcasing Spirit of the Harvest, a major new exhibition by its long-standing Artist in Residence, acclaimed Cornish painter John Dyer. The exhibition celebrates three of the world’s staple food crops — rice, bananas and potatoes — and the global communities who cultivate them.

'Tropical Banana Wildlife Beach, Costa Rica', 35.5 x 35.5 inches acrylic on canvas.
John Dyer Painting of the Caribbean Rainforest.

Running until 9 February 2026, the exhibition marks 25 years of both the Eden Project and Dyer’s residency. It brings together art, ecology and international storytelling in a vibrant exploration of the connections between people, plants and planet.

The entire Link Building between the Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes has been transformed with deep terracotta walls, creating a striking backdrop for Dyer’s vivid paintings. Alongside each canvas, interpretive panels delve into the botany, cultural heritage and sustainability of these essential crops, aligning the Eden Project’s scientific mission with the expressive power of art.

'Andean Potato Pickers, Amaru, Peru' by John Dyer

“Rice, potatoes and bananas connect every culture on Earth. Painting them for the UN’s Years of Rice and Potato showed me how these crops hold our shared story — where art, people and plants meet.” John Dyer, Artist in Residence, Eden Project

A Global Story in Paint

At the centre of Spirit of the Harvest are four new large-scale paintings, each measuring 35.5 by 35.5 inches, depicting the world’s three principal staple crops. These recent works are displayed alongside earlier plein-air pieces created during Dyer’s expeditions to Peru (2003), Costa Rica (2003 & 2005) and the Philippines (2004) — projects undertaken in collaboration with the Eden Project, the United Nations, and the International Year of Rice and Potato initiatives.

Spanning more than two decades (2003–2025), the exhibition represents a vivid and historically significant body of work that chronicles Dyer’s enduring commitment to portraying humanity’s bond with food, farming and the natural world. The result is a rich, colour-filled visual narrative — a celebration of connection, culture and care at the heart of the global harvest.

For one, the Tropical Banana Wildlife Beach celebrates the lush biodiversity of the Caribbean-coast of Costa Rica, featuring vibrant banana groves, wild sloths, howler monkeys swinging through canopy, toucans perched above neon blossoms, and turquoise sea beyond white sands. Reflecting on small-scale farming and rainforest ecosystems, Dyer applies a radiant palette of emerald greens, sun-lit yellows, deep aquamarines and bursts of scarlet to evoke life, movement and colour. 

Images: John Dyer Gallery

To view the exhibition, click HERE. 

For Collectors - All paintings from Spirit of the Harvest are available exclusively through the John Dyer Gallery, each signed, archived with full provenance and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. Free worldwide delivery is included. Purchasing directly supports Dyer’s ongoing environmental and educational projects.