A photographer and mask maker, Danielle Macleod works in medium format film, taking inspiration from traditional Hebridean culture, local landscapes and stories, and seeking to deepen her spiritual connection to the landscape. Her work has been exhibited both locally and nationally and published in various outlets. 

In the Northward project, Danielle chose a story of The Lewis Merman and Sea Dog, telling about the supernatural sightings in modern Lewis. With her deep connection to the local community and the local landscape, Danielle set out to consult with the local storyteller, before embarking onto her work. She collected local materials to create a series of surreal masks based on the characters, locations and themes in the story. Once the masks were created, Danielle then recruited a local model to wear the masks, photographing them on site at different locations around the island, situating her creation in the local context. 

Danielle’s work on creating art from stories in the local context extends beyond the Northword project. Read more about Danielle’s artwork and storytelling on Northword and learn more about Danielle’s wider work on her professional website.

Image credit: Dannielle Macleod