A practice aiming to reveal our connection to broader ecological narratives
This week, we welcome Delaney Accomando, a printmaker, painter, and environmental activist based in Queens. Accomando’s work grows from a curiosity about the connections between human-made structures and the natural world. She is drawn to the ways these systems are inherently linked and mirror each other’s designs and functions. Through her printmaking practice, Delaney studies patterns, forms and repetitions across both ecological and urban environments, revealing how people often imitate nature unconsciously, even as they try to impose order upon it.
“My work explores the tension between human desire for structure versus the fluid, adaptive nature of ecological systems, while also examining how humans connect with nature, grow alongside it, and are shaped by the landscapes we move through,” she said.
With a background in landscape architecture, Accomando cultivates small-scale urban ecosystems, transforming concrete backyards into edible oases and teaching in community gardens. Her hands-on work with plants and soil continually informs her artistic approach, grounding her in the reciprocal relationship between people and the landscapes they inhabit.
“I imagine a world where people move through nature with attention and care — where our daily choices reflect an understanding that we are inseparable from the environments we inhabit,” she said. “As climate change intensifies, there is an exigent obligation to create a difference in the way that individuals relate to the spaces in which they exist.”
Accomando’s climate activism is woven into her creative life. She has worked with New York City-based nonprofits including the Human Impacts Institute and Beam Center, where she supported projects that address the city’s health and wellbeing through community-driven leadership, public policy and creative engagement. Whether in her studio practice or her environmental work, Accomando is guided by a belief that art and activism can help reconnect people with the systems that sustain them, inspiring a more thoughtful and interconnected way of living.
“Historically, humans have considered themselves as separate from nature which has been detrimental to the environment because it encourages a mentality of taking without preserving. Printmaking allows me to think through these entanglements as its repetition and layering resemble the processes of growth, decay and renewal found in nature,” she said. “These methods allow me to study how patterns — whether branching rivers, root systems, urban grids or daily routines — inform one another and reveal our shared dependence. By tracing these reciprocal relationships, my work invites viewers to see themselves as participants embedded within broader ecological narratives.”
“There are countless articles, data, and statistics focused on climate change and environmental protection. While these works provide valuable information, it can be hard for everyone to resonate with or equitably access this information,” Accomando added. “I am driven by a belief that art has the power to dissolve perceived boundaries between people and ecosystems while fostering a sense of care, curiosity, and responsibility across diverse communities. Strengthening the health and wellbeing of the city can happen through community-based leadership, public policy and creativity.”
