Flamboyant floral creations are bursting into bloom this spring in a new exhibition celebrating nature at its most bold and beautiful.
Flower Power: Spring Exhibition Celebrates Nature’s Boldest Blooms brings together art, design and fashion inspired by the natural world, charting how depictions of flowers, fruits, leaves and trees have shaped decorative style across the centuries. From the garden to the gallery, and into our homes and wardrobes — botanical motifs take centre stage in a show packed with colour, craftsmanship and creativity.
Among the highlights are elaborate garments spanning three centuries, including an 18th-century dress made from fine, intricately woven silk produced in Spitalfields, East London, alongside standout dresses from the 1960s and 70s. Visitors can also view wallpapers by celebrated designer William Morris, drawn from the Sanderson Archive, with the exhibition exploring Morris’s enduring influence and his championing of handmade production. A design by his daughter, Mary Morris — a talented designer, embroiderer and activist — also features.
Caroline Newton, assistant curator at Lotherton said:
“The natural world has captured the imaginations of some of the most esteemed and influential designers throughout history, inspiring them to create many of the most stunning and beloved examples of their respective crafts.
“The huge variety of different ways in which plants, flowers and trees have been depicted in arts and design speaks volumes about just how keen those designers were to try and replicate the beauty they saw in the world around them.
“This exhibition gives us a chance to showcase some of their creations and hopefully in turn give visitors the opportunity to think about some of the different ways nature is reflected in their own lives today.”
Silver and ceramics add further sparkle. A breath-taking silver pagoda epergne crafted by silversmith Thomas Pitts in 1759 — topped with a decorative pineapple, a traditional symbol of hospitality — offers a glimpse of the extravagant table centrepieces that became fashionable in the mid-18th century, once piled high with fruit and sweet delicacies.
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture said:
“The beautiful array of objects in this exhibition is a fitting tribute to both the skill of the many designers and artists whose works are featured, and the beauty of the natural world which inspired them.
“With the arrival of spring, and plants and flowers about to burst into bloom, this is an ideal time to appreciate the role nature has played in our remarkable collection.”
Other exhibits include innovative furniture by Voysey and Pugin, and a wide range of antique ceramics shaped as fruits, flowers and vegetables. More modern highlights range from an Andy Goldsworthy leaf sculpture and David Nash’s Tree of Life drawing to ceramicist Kate Malone’s Hedgerow vase and a contemporary silver piece by Ndidi Ekubia.
A programme of related events runs alongside the display, with sculpture workshops, flower-making sessions and musical performances inspired by the collection. Botanically Beautiful will be at Lotherton until October 18.
For more information, please visit ‘Botanically Beautiful’ Art and Design Inspired by Nature | Days out and Exhibitions
