Simpson holds an MSc in Forest Research Biology from the University of New Brunswick and a Fine Craft Diploma from NBCCD, where he received the Governor General’s Medal for High Achievement. This combination of scientific training and craft expertise informs his meticulous approach, allowing him to engage plant fibres not only as materials but as ecological narratives. His sculptures reveal the intrinsic structures of natural forms, translating the rhythms of growth, decay, and transformation into woven compositions that hold both physical and symbolic resonance.
His commitment to sustainability is central to his work. Simpson forages all his plant materials through environmentally responsible methods, prioritizing invasive, introduced, or abundant species. Through this approach, he positions craft as an ecological act: one that honours the intelligence of natural systems while encouraging viewers to consider their relationship with the environment. His studio practice in Fredericton reflects this ethos, functioning as both workspace and site of ongoing research into regional plant life.
Simpson has taught more than 100 workshops across Canada, the United States, Poland, and Spain, sharing his knowledge widely and nurturing new creative communities. His dedication to education and knowledge exchange forms a vital part of his artistic identity. His work has been featured in publications such as Basketry+, Fibre Focus, Collect Art Fair 2025, Salt Spring National Art Prize and Rewilding Magazine, and he has published his own catalogue, Ralph Simpson – Plant Fibre Artist.
He is the recipient of the Nel Oudemans Award from the Sheila Hugh Mackay Foundation and grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and Arts New Brunswick. His work has been shortlisted twice for the Salt Spring National Art Prize (2021 and 2025), and in 2023 his sculpture Rose Hip was acquired for New Brunswick’s permanent art collection. Simpson’s pieces have been exhibited nationally and internationally, with exhibitions in the UK, Spain, Poland, and the United States.
Drawing from traditional basketry while pushing its expressive potential, Simpson creates vessels, sculptural forms, and botanically inspired structures that explore the emotional and ecological stories embedded in plant fibres. His work bridges craft, fine art and environmental study, offering tactile expressions of the landscapes that surround him.
Within The Power of Objects, Simpson’s work highlights how natural materials embody ecological memory and regional identity. His plant-fibre sculptures reveal the inherent intelligence of organic matter, showing how objects shaped through environmental understanding can act as witnesses to place, climate, and transformation. Simpson’s work affirms that crafted objects carry agency, inviting viewers to engage deeply with themselves and the natural world through material, texture, and form promoting a holistic view of life itself.
