Maria Gabriela Tejada Toapanta, an illustrator and print artist from Canada and Ecuador and Heike Jane Zimmermann, a sculptor and illustrator from Norway have been selected for a residency at the next EGU General Assembly. The Artist in Residence programme offers scientist-artists an opportunity to engage with scientific research in a dynamic setting and be inspired by the many new discoveries being presented at the conference, which will take place in Vienna, Austria from 23–28 April 2023.

Heike Jane Zimmermann (@janesnation) is an illustrator and sculptor with a particular passion for ecological science and the role that sculpture and illustration can play in revealing the micro-organisms and often unseen worlds present in these environments. At the General Assembly she will be using simple modelling clay to make small sculptures of the work presented in a wide range of disciplines across the meeting, along with holding a workshop to share how this kind of expression is accessible to anyone, regardless of whether they have had any artistic training. “Thanks to its playfulness and ease, sculpture is readily accessible to anyone and, especially when done together with illustration, presents an unrivalled means for science communication and education”, she says. “At EGU23, I will use modelling clay to produce simple sculptures of the work presented that can be recreated by anyone, reminding participants how easy and fun it is to create sculptures and to use this process as a tool for science communication and education.”

Maria Gabriela Tejada Toapanta (@gabrielatejadat) is a geographer and hydrologist based in Canada with an interest in using fine art illustration and print work to share her passion for communicating science. At EGU23 she will be using pencil and carbon to create drawings of key components, themes or results presented during the meeting. “I am thrilled to form part of EGU23, as I have a passion for both art and science.” she told us. “Being fortunate enough to be an artist based in Calgary, Canada and in Quito, Ecuador, in addition to having an indigenous background, has given me a unique and exciting perspective on art and how I could use it to change people’s mindset on environmental issues. I would like to invite all participants to chat with me on exploring more ways of making science even more interdisciplinary and accessible to a broader public.”

EGU General Assembly participants will be able to see images of the artwork produced by artists via social media (using the hashtag #EGUart), on the EGU GeoLog blog and live at the conference centre. Find out more about the last few years’ Artists in and (not) in Residence by visiting our Youtube playlist and EGU’s GeoLog blogs.

• EGU22 General Assembly website