Turtle Dove: New Work by Becs Boyd

This collection of ten works by Becs Boyd are inspired by a long-distance walk in Romania and Moldova during 2025, and the frescos, wildlife and people encountered enroute. During this journey the globally-endangered turtle dove became a totem, a reminder of ancient cultural roots and a contemporary symbol of struggle and resilience.

Boyd’s work has always used icon-like symbols - a bird or seal, a shell, a face – with previous bodies of work inspired by the Highlands and the Arctic north. With Turtle Dove, Boyd weaves the timeless stories of human and bird together, exploring the persistence of life in the face of challenge and the dreamlike song of the turtle dove.

“The gentle purring call of the turtle dove wove through the weeks I walked close to the Ukrainian border. It wove through the deep colours of Orthodox monastery frescoes and through conversations about war, farming and elections. This body of work marks the recent discovery of an ancient migration route. Turtle doves cross the Ukrainian front line and the Gaza Strip, before reaching the Sahel, one of the most climate-ravaged regions of the world. Drawing on the imagery of 16th Century Orthodox frescoes, this work celebrates the fragile persistence of this bird against a backdrop of violent change.”
Becs Boyd, 2025