This autumn half-term, the Eden Project unveils Spirit of the Harvest, a major new art exhibition by celebrated British painter John Dyer, opening on 24 October 2025 and running until 9 February 2026. The exhibition explores the shared story of food, farming, and culture through a vibrant celebration of the world’s three staple crops, rice, bananas, and potatoes, and the communities that grow them.

A Landmark Exhibition Celebrating 25 Years of Art, Ecology and the Eden Project

Marking a significant cultural milestone, Spirit of the Harvest launches the 25th anniversary celebrations of both the Eden Project and John Dyer’s long-standing role as its Artist in Residence. This special exhibition unites art, ecology, and global storytelling, continuing Dyer’s mission to capture humanity’s relationship with the natural world through colour and creativity.

The entire Link Building, connecting the Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes, has been transformed into an immersive gallery space, painted in deep terracotta tones that provide a striking contrast to Dyer’s vibrant canvases. Alongside each artwork, educational panels explore the botany, heritage and sustainability of the featured crops, blending Eden’s scientific insights with the emotional resonance of art.

“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 of Plants, People and Planet

At the heart of Spirit of the Harvest are four new large-scale paintings (35.5 × 35.5 inches each) created especially for the exhibition. These pieces celebrate the planet’s most important food crops, rice, banana and potato, as symbols of resilience, nourishment and cultural identity.

The new works are exhibited alongside a rare collection of plein air paintings made during Dyer’s global expeditions between 2003 and 2005, including journeys to Peru, Costa Rica, and the Philippines in collaboration with the Eden Project, the United Nations, and international initiatives such as the International Year of Rice and International Year of the Potato.

Together, these paintings form a visual archive spanning over two decades, chronicling how food connects people across continents and cultures. Each canvas captures the colour, rhythm and humanity of harvest, a tribute to the global communities sustaining life on Earth.

John Dyer: An Artist for the Earth

Internationally recognised as Official Artist for the Earth with EarthDay.org (USA), John Dyer continues to use his art as a catalyst for environmental awareness and education. He is also the founder of Last Chance to Paint, the UK’s leading eco-art education project for children, which connects more than 50,000 young people worldwide with endangered ecosystems and Indigenous communities each year.

Through colour, storytelling and connection, Dyer’s work continues Cornwall’s proud artistic legacy of light, landscape and environmental consciousness, making him one of Britain’s most engaging and purposeful contemporary artists.

“Spirit of the Harvest tells a story that began over twenty years ago,” says John Dyer. “Painting in Peru, Costa Rica and the Philippines changed how I saw our planet — how food and community bind us all. These new canvases bring that journey full circle.”

For Collectors: Limited Works Available

All paintings from Spirit of the Harvest are available exclusively through the John Dyer Gallery. Each artwork is signed, archived with full provenance, and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. Collectors benefit from free worldwide delivery, and proceeds directly support Dyer’s ongoing environmental and educational projects.

Exhibition Details

Exhibition: Spirit of the Harvest – Paintings by John Dyer
Venue: Eden Project, Cornwall (edenproject.com)
Dates: 24 October 2025 – 9 February 2026
Artist: John Dyer – Eden Project Artist in Residence, Official Artist for the Earth (EarthDay.org)
Theme: Global Crops & the Shared Spirit of the Earth