Homing – Polly Morgan on Taxidermy, Family & Letting Things Go

Podcast: Homing
Host: Matt Gibberd
Guest: Polly Morgan (Artist)
Date: November 13, 2025

Episode Overview

In this richly personal episode of Homing, host Matt Gibberd sits down with celebrated taxidermy artist Polly Morgan inside her family home – a converted pub in Camberwell. As Polly prepares for a new life in the countryside, she reflects on how home, family, loss, and art interweave to shape her identity and journey. The conversation explores Polly’s eccentric countryside childhood, her unorthodox entrance into the art world, family dynamics, creativity, motherhood, the process of letting go—of objects, homes, and even grief—and how simplifying possessions has clarified her sense of home and self.

“Life is a series of letting things go. It’s a series of little losses, really.”
— Polly Morgan [43:32]

1. Polly’s Childhood in the Cotswolds (03:03–09:20)

Eccentric, Animal-Filled Upbringing

Polly grew up in a non-farming village home surrounded by animals, thanks to her father’s many agricultural ventures—angora goats, llamas, ostriches, and more.
Her household was a blend of freedom, nature, and chaos. Sick animals would move into their house, leading to scenes like goats in dog beds and llamas up the road.
Freedom and exploration defined her childhood—damming streams, playing outside, and being “spat at by llamas.”
Despite this rural idyll, as a teenager Polly was desperate to escape to the city. “Always the way, isn’t it? ... Never happy.” [05:43–05:49]

Early Encounters with Death and Anatomy

Exposure to animal deaths (hamsters, goats, chickens) normalized the “visceral and physical” realities of biology for Polly from a young age.
Vivid memory: her father performing a backyard goat autopsy, igniting her fascination with anatomy (“I remember him cutting the stomach open and all this grass spilling out – and just being fascinated and thinking, so that’s where it goes.” [06:46]).
Handling dead animals was not shocking but matter-of-fact.

“People were like, ‘How can you cut it open?’ That just was never a thing for me.”
— Polly Morgan [08:36]

2. Family Dynamics & Early Creative Impulses (10:04–14:25)

Sibling Roles & Creativity

Youngest of three, Polly describes herself as a “moderator,” bridging her two very different sisters.
Largely left to her own devices, she cultivated independence and creativity—making magazines, nature clubs, drawing, poetry.
Emphasizes childhood boredom as a catalyst for creativity: “When you’re bored, you do get really creative.” [10:44]

Individuality & Design

Always drawn to the opposite of what was popular: “I never wanted what other people wanted. I always wanted kind of the opposite—maybe on purpose.” [12:15]
Cherished objects (like a homemade checkerboard chair by her father) became symbols of her desire to be different—but even cherished things can be let go.

3. Leaving Home: London, University & Finding a Path to Art (17:33–26:43)

University Life & Loss of "Home"

Studied English at Queen Mary, London—not art. University was mainly a way out; she didn’t connect to campus or peers but found her tribe at a bar in Hoxton Square, the “Electricity Showrooms.”
Parents divorced as Polly left for university; the original family home was sold, rootlessness followed.
Significant early traumas: her best friend’s death and her family breaking apart left her keen to start anew and avoid emotional weight.

“I didn’t have a family home from the age of 19 … that bar brought me up, really.”
— Polly Morgan [20:45]

Punk House & Life Skills

Lived in a series of “squalid” shared houses (including with punks), developing self-sufficiency (e.g. putting dirty dishes in housemates’ beds as a cleaning system!). [23:00–26:33]

4. The Road to Taxidermy: Destiny & DIY Art World Entry (26:43–32:13)

Synchronicity in Shoreditch

Immersion in London’s creative epicenter—Shoreditch’s Electricity Showrooms—surrounded Polly with working artists (painters, photographers, gallery owners).
Fed her belief that “anything is possible.”

Discovering Taxidermy

Polly’s desire to decorate her apartment with “dead-looking” birds led her to train with a Scottish taxidermist after realizing she couldn’t afford to commission work.
Developed her taxidermy skills through guidance and practice, combining her interest in anatomy with her creative drive.
First public exposure came via friends in the hospitality and arts world. The response was immediate and positive—her art career catalyzed almost accidentally.

“It was a perfect marriage of art and science … You can feel the bones and understand the way they connect together. If I’m stroking an animal, I know exactly what it looks like under the skin.”
— Polly Morgan [31:27]

5. Imposter Syndrome and Success (32:49–37:00)

Describes initial artistic success as feeling unearned, like an imposter, but acknowledges that her naïveté acted as a “superpower” (“You just charge through all these incredible opportunities thinking, ‘Fine, yeah, I’ll deal with that when it happens.’” [37:00])
Early career: shows sold well, allowing her a mortgage and property security—but realizing later how unpredictable the art market truly is.

6. The Camberwell Pub: Life, Work, & Letting Go (37:25–50:28)

Buying the Converted Pub

Polly and her husband, artist Mat Collishaw, each bought their homes independently, shaped by childhood experiences of financial insecurity.
Their Camberwell home was a communal hub: family life, artist collaborations, film shoots, and more. Polly gave birth to her second son in one of the bedrooms.

Accumulating & Decluttering

The house accumulated stories, people, objects. But as Polly prepared to move, she began a process of radical minimalism for mental clarity and peace.
Reflects on the bittersweet process of moving out but focuses on the essential:

“None of those things are very important. All that’s important is the people in your life.”
— Polly Morgan [43:32]
“As long as I can take those three along with me, I think I could make a nice home anywhere.” [83:02]

Studio Space Realities

Her studio in the pub’s cellar was makeshift and cluttered, but offered a vital separation between art and home.
As a mother, she’d work in short bursts between caring for young children, finding creative sustenance even in those challenging logistics.

7. Art, Deception & New Directions (51:48–56:48)

Techniques & Themes

Polly now works mostly with snakes—casting bodies and scales rather than traditional taxidermy—blurring nature, artifice, and trompe l’oeil.
Interest in commemorating the ephemeral—casting wood fragments, polystyrene packaging as “modern fossils.”

“You’re trying to hang on to something that you don’t hang on to … making that last, that tiny little incidental bit of wood or little bird…” [53:12]

Artist Block & Rediscovering Joy

Discusses her period of creative block in her thirties; commercial pressures led to art she felt disconnected from.
Motherhood and scaling back professional obligations allowed her to rediscover authentic satisfaction in her work.

8. Living with (and Swapping) Art (56:48–58:33)

The family’s home featured works by friends/artists (Damien Hirst, Dinos Chapman), usually acquired through swaps or as gifts, rather than purchases.

“Neither of us have ever been in a position to afford to buy our own work.”
— Polly Morgan [59:43]

Moving art to a new environment sparked renewed appreciation.

9. Partnership & Everyday Life (59:56–64:37)

Polly and Mat’s relationship is collaborative yet independent, with equal input into ideas, support, and space. Mat is described as “very calm, thorough, and steady.”
Daily life revolves around “clockwork” routines and rituals—especially meals, drinks, and minimal possessions.

10. Minimalism & Trauma: Loss as a Teacher (67:44–76:03)

The Wisdom of Fewer Things

The process of decluttering brought a feeling of lightness: “The fewer things you have, the fewer things are being asked of you.” [65:40]
Minimalism as a response to grief and trauma (her sister and mother’s sudden deaths).

Living with Anxiety

After her losses, Polly experienced profound anxiety, noise intolerance, and “hyper-vigilance.” Nature and the act of simplifying became therapeutic.
Grieving changed her, but also clarified what matters: “I feel like I’ve really distilled life to the essence… I understand what’s important.” [73:30]

11. Returning to the Countryside & Raising Children (77:02–81:47)

Polly now lives with her family in a converted hayloft in the Cotswolds, surrounded by innovative food growers and local creatives.
Her children thrive outdoors, spending hours in nature, unstressed and less reliant on screens.
The move delivered more cultural stimulation than remaining in London—she is now intentional about visiting shows and engaging with “the entire world out there.”

12. What Home Means (83:02–84:14)

“It’s just family. … As long as I can take those three along with me, I think I could make a nice home anywhere.”
— Polly Morgan [83:02]

Inspired by Judith Kerr’s “When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit”, Polly sees home as wherever her family are, not tied to a specific space or objects.

Notable Quotes & Moments

“When you’re kind of bored, you do get really creative.” [10:44]
“Handling dead animals was never an issue for me because I grew up around death and biology – it was just reality.” [09:20]
“Life is a series of letting things go. It’s a series of little losses, really.” [43:32]
“The fewer things you have, the fewer demands are being made of you.” [65:40]
“As long as I can take those three along with me, I think I could make a nice home anywhere.” [83:02]

Key Timestamps

03:03 – 09:20 | Polly’s eccentric, animal-filled childhood
10:04 – 14:25 | Family roles, independence, creativity
17:33 – 26:43 | London life, loss of family home, bar life, punk house
26:43 – 32:13 | Start of taxidermy career, accidental art world entry
32:49 – 37:00 | Early art success, imposter syndrome
37:25 – 50:28 | Camberwell pub-house, stories, decluttering, letting go
51:48 – 56:48 | Evolving art practice, artist’s block, authenticity
56:48 – 59:43 | Living with other artists’ work
59:56 – 64:37 | Artist couple routines, collaboration, rituals
67:44 – 76:03 | Minimalism and healing from trauma
77:02 – 81:47 | Returning to the countryside, raising kids with nature
83:02 – 84:14 | Defining home as family, not structure

Summary:
Polly Morgan’s episode is a compelling meditation on the shifting nature of home, the profound role of family, and how our environments—and eventual willingness to let go—shape who we become. Her story moves from eccentric childhood, through artistic accomplishment and deep grief, to a minimalist, intentional reinvention surrounded by the most essential thing—her family.

Homing – Polly Morgan on Taxidermy, Family & Letting Things Go

Podcast: Homing
Host: Matt Gibberd
Guest: Polly Morgan (Artist)
Date: November 13, 2025

Episode Overview

“Life is a series of letting things go. It’s a series of little losses, really.”
— Polly Morgan [43:32]

1. Polly’s Childhood in the Cotswolds (03:03–09:20)

Eccentric, Animal-Filled Upbringing

Polly grew up in a non-farming village home surrounded by animals, thanks to her father’s many agricultural ventures—angora goats, llamas, ostriches, and more.
Her household was a blend of freedom, nature, and chaos. Sick animals would move into their house, leading to scenes like goats in dog beds and llamas up the road.
Freedom and exploration defined her childhood—damming streams, playing outside, and being “spat at by llamas.”
Despite this rural idyll, as a teenager Polly was desperate to escape to the city. “Always the way, isn’t it? ... Never happy.” [05:43–05:49]

Early Encounters with Death and Anatomy

Exposure to animal deaths (hamsters, goats, chickens) normalized the “visceral and physical” realities of biology for Polly from a young age.
Vivid memory: her father performing a backyard goat autopsy, igniting her fascination with anatomy (“I remember him cutting the stomach open and all this grass spilling out – and just being fascinated and thinking, so that’s where it goes.” [06:46]).
Handling dead animals was not shocking but matter-of-fact.

“People were like, ‘How can you cut it open?’ That just was never a thing for me.”
— Polly Morgan [08:36]

2. Family Dynamics & Early Creative Impulses (10:04–14:25)

Sibling Roles & Creativity

Youngest of three, Polly describes herself as a “moderator,” bridging her two very different sisters.
Largely left to her own devices, she cultivated independence and creativity—making magazines, nature clubs, drawing, poetry.
Emphasizes childhood boredom as a catalyst for creativity: “When you’re bored, you do get really creative.” [10:44]

Individuality & Design

Always drawn to the opposite of what was popular: “I never wanted what other people wanted. I always wanted kind of the opposite—maybe on purpose.” [12:15]
Cherished objects (like a homemade checkerboard chair by her father) became symbols of her desire to be different—but even cherished things can be let go.

3. Leaving Home: London, University & Finding a Path to Art (17:33–26:43)

University Life & Loss of "Home"

Studied English at Queen Mary, London—not art. University was mainly a way out; she didn’t connect to campus or peers but found her tribe at a bar in Hoxton Square, the “Electricity Showrooms.”
Parents divorced as Polly left for university; the original family home was sold, rootlessness followed.
Significant early traumas: her best friend’s death and her family breaking apart left her keen to start anew and avoid emotional weight.

“I didn’t have a family home from the age of 19 … that bar brought me up, really.”
— Polly Morgan [20:45]

Punk House & Life Skills

Lived in a series of “squalid” shared houses (including with punks), developing self-sufficiency (e.g. putting dirty dishes in housemates’ beds as a cleaning system!). [23:00–26:33]

4. The Road to Taxidermy: Destiny & DIY Art World Entry (26:43–32:13)

Synchronicity in Shoreditch

Immersion in London’s creative epicenter—Shoreditch’s Electricity Showrooms—surrounded Polly with working artists (painters, photographers, gallery owners).
Fed her belief that “anything is possible.”

Discovering Taxidermy

Polly’s desire to decorate her apartment with “dead-looking” birds led her to train with a Scottish taxidermist after realizing she couldn’t afford to commission work.
Developed her taxidermy skills through guidance and practice, combining her interest in anatomy with her creative drive.
First public exposure came via friends in the hospitality and arts world. The response was immediate and positive—her art career catalyzed almost accidentally.

“It was a perfect marriage of art and science … You can feel the bones and understand the way they connect together. If I’m stroking an animal, I know exactly what it looks like under the skin.”
— Polly Morgan [31:27]

5. Imposter Syndrome and Success (32:49–37:00)

Describes initial artistic success as feeling unearned, like an imposter, but acknowledges that her naïveté acted as a “superpower” (“You just charge through all these incredible opportunities thinking, ‘Fine, yeah, I’ll deal with that when it happens.’” [37:00])
Early career: shows sold well, allowing her a mortgage and property security—but realizing later how unpredictable the art market truly is.

6. The Camberwell Pub: Life, Work, & Letting Go (37:25–50:28)

Buying the Converted Pub

Polly and her husband, artist Mat Collishaw, each bought their homes independently, shaped by childhood experiences of financial insecurity.
Their Camberwell home was a communal hub: family life, artist collaborations, film shoots, and more. Polly gave birth to her second son in one of the bedrooms.

Accumulating & Decluttering

The house accumulated stories, people, objects. But as Polly prepared to move, she began a process of radical minimalism for mental clarity and peace.
Reflects on the bittersweet process of moving out but focuses on the essential:

“None of those things are very important. All that’s important is the people in your life.”
— Polly Morgan [43:32]
“As long as I can take those three along with me, I think I could make a nice home anywhere.” [83:02]

Studio Space Realities

Her studio in the pub’s cellar was makeshift and cluttered, but offered a vital separation between art and home.
As a mother, she’d work in short bursts between caring for young children, finding creative sustenance even in those challenging logistics.

7. Art, Deception & New Directions (51:48–56:48)

Techniques & Themes

Polly now works mostly with snakes—casting bodies and scales rather than traditional taxidermy—blurring nature, artifice, and trompe l’oeil.
Interest in commemorating the ephemeral—casting wood fragments, polystyrene packaging as “modern fossils.”

“You’re trying to hang on to something that you don’t hang on to … making that last, that tiny little incidental bit of wood or little bird…” [53:12]

Artist Block & Rediscovering Joy

Discusses her period of creative block in her thirties; commercial pressures led to art she felt disconnected from.
Motherhood and scaling back professional obligations allowed her to rediscover authentic satisfaction in her work.

8. Living with (and Swapping) Art (56:48–58:33)

The family’s home featured works by friends/artists (Damien Hirst, Dinos Chapman), usually acquired through swaps or as gifts, rather than purchases.

“Neither of us have ever been in a position to afford to buy our own work.”
— Polly Morgan [59:43]

Moving art to a new environment sparked renewed appreciation.

9. Partnership & Everyday Life (59:56–64:37)

Polly and Mat’s relationship is collaborative yet independent, with equal input into ideas, support, and space. Mat is described as “very calm, thorough, and steady.”
Daily life revolves around “clockwork” routines and rituals—especially meals, drinks, and minimal possessions.

10. Minimalism & Trauma: Loss as a Teacher (67:44–76:03)

The Wisdom of Fewer Things

The process of decluttering brought a feeling of lightness: “The fewer things you have, the fewer things are being asked of you.” [65:40]
Minimalism as a response to grief and trauma (her sister and mother’s sudden deaths).

Living with Anxiety

After her losses, Polly experienced profound anxiety, noise intolerance, and “hyper-vigilance.” Nature and the act of simplifying became therapeutic.
Grieving changed her, but also clarified what matters: “I feel like I’ve really distilled life to the essence… I understand what’s important.” [73:30]

11. Returning to the Countryside & Raising Children (77:02–81:47)

Polly now lives with her family in a converted hayloft in the Cotswolds, surrounded by innovative food growers and local creatives.
Her children thrive outdoors, spending hours in nature, unstressed and less reliant on screens.
The move delivered more cultural stimulation than remaining in London—she is now intentional about visiting shows and engaging with “the entire world out there.”

12. What Home Means (83:02–84:14)

“It’s just family. … As long as I can take those three along with me, I think I could make a nice home anywhere.”
— Polly Morgan [83:02]

Inspired by Judith Kerr’s “When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit”, Polly sees home as wherever her family are, not tied to a specific space or objects.

Notable Quotes & Moments

“When you’re kind of bored, you do get really creative.” [10:44]
“Handling dead animals was never an issue for me because I grew up around death and biology – it was just reality.” [09:20]
“Life is a series of letting things go. It’s a series of little losses, really.” [43:32]
“The fewer things you have, the fewer demands are being made of you.” [65:40]
“As long as I can take those three along with me, I think I could make a nice home anywhere.” [83:02]

Key Timestamps

03:03 – 09:20 | Polly’s eccentric, animal-filled childhood
10:04 – 14:25 | Family roles, independence, creativity
17:33 – 26:43 | London life, loss of family home, bar life, punk house
26:43 – 32:13 | Start of taxidermy career, accidental art world entry
32:49 – 37:00 | Early art success, imposter syndrome
37:25 – 50:28 | Camberwell pub-house, stories, decluttering, letting go
51:48 – 56:48 | Evolving art practice, artist’s block, authenticity
56:48 – 59:43 | Living with other artists’ work
59:56 – 64:37 | Artist couple routines, collaboration, rituals
67:44 – 76:03 | Minimalism and healing from trauma
77:02 – 81:47 | Returning to the countryside, raising kids with nature
83:02 – 84:14 | Defining home as family, not structure

Polly Morgan on Taxidermy, Family & Letting Things Go

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Summary

Homing – Polly Morgan on Taxidermy, Family & Letting Things Go

Episode Overview

1. Polly’s Childhood in the Cotswolds (03:03–09:20)

Eccentric, Animal-Filled Upbringing

Early Encounters with Death and Anatomy

2. Family Dynamics & Early Creative Impulses (10:04–14:25)

Sibling Roles & Creativity

Individuality & Design

3. Leaving Home: London, University & Finding a Path to Art (17:33–26:43)

University Life & Loss of "Home"

Punk House & Life Skills

4. The Road to Taxidermy: Destiny & DIY Art World Entry (26:43–32:13)

Synchronicity in Shoreditch

Discovering Taxidermy

5. Imposter Syndrome and Success (32:49–37:00)

6. The Camberwell Pub: Life, Work, & Letting Go (37:25–50:28)

Buying the Converted Pub

Accumulating & Decluttering

Studio Space Realities

7. Art, Deception & New Directions (51:48–56:48)

Techniques & Themes

Artist Block & Rediscovering Joy

8. Living with (and Swapping) Art (56:48–58:33)

9. Partnership & Everyday Life (59:56–64:37)

10. Minimalism & Trauma: Loss as a Teacher (67:44–76:03)

The Wisdom of Fewer Things

Living with Anxiety

11. Returning to the Countryside & Raising Children (77:02–81:47)

12. What Home Means (83:02–84:14)

Notable Quotes & Moments

Key Timestamps

Summary

Homing – Polly Morgan on Taxidermy, Family & Letting Things Go

Episode Overview

1. Polly’s Childhood in the Cotswolds (03:03–09:20)

Eccentric, Animal-Filled Upbringing

Early Encounters with Death and Anatomy

2. Family Dynamics & Early Creative Impulses (10:04–14:25)

Sibling Roles & Creativity

Individuality & Design

3. Leaving Home: London, University & Finding a Path to Art (17:33–26:43)

University Life & Loss of "Home"

Punk House & Life Skills

4. The Road to Taxidermy: Destiny & DIY Art World Entry (26:43–32:13)

Synchronicity in Shoreditch

Discovering Taxidermy

5. Imposter Syndrome and Success (32:49–37:00)

6. The Camberwell Pub: Life, Work, & Letting Go (37:25–50:28)

Buying the Converted Pub

Accumulating & Decluttering

Studio Space Realities

7. Art, Deception & New Directions (51:48–56:48)

Techniques & Themes

Artist Block & Rediscovering Joy

8. Living with (and Swapping) Art (56:48–58:33)

9. Partnership & Everyday Life (59:56–64:37)

10. Minimalism & Trauma: Loss as a Teacher (67:44–76:03)

The Wisdom of Fewer Things

Living with Anxiety

11. Returning to the Countryside & Raising Children (77:02–81:47)

12. What Home Means (83:02–84:14)

Notable Quotes & Moments

Key Timestamps