Going visual

Poem

Shore song

By Ruthie Collins

In reeds rippling, a white heron almost vanished from view, Little Egret. Its friend, Great Crested Grebe, too, once nearly extinct, for beauty, so crude: murderous millinery. Hats? So, rude! Saved by leagues of fur, feathers and plumes. Elizabeth and Eliza fighting for laws, their voices a shield, singing strength and force. Flocking together, birds of a feather, giving power to all to protect and support, like plumage in wings, to lift, fly and soar, This white heron singing its shore song to all. The power is yours, the power is yours, to unite and restore.

Life and beauty, uncaptured and caught, a force for nature, full of wonder and awe.

This poem is part of Natural Wonder, a poetry collection and trail supported by Arts Council England. | www.ruthiecollins.co.uk.

Plants In Art And Culture

Nature has inspired art for thousands of years, and two ground-breaking new exhibitions at Kew Gardens are exploring this evolution via intricate botanical paintings and sculptural work exploring faith and cultural exchange.

In Pakistani-American contemporary artist Anila Quayyum Agha’s installation, All the Flowers Are for Me, a gallery space is filled with elaborate patterns inspired by Islamic art and architecture, surrounding a large steel cube. The work encompasses ideas of peaceful co-existence within the context of an increasingly fractious world.

Alongside this, a wall-mounted piece is inspired by Great Piece of Turf by the botanical artist Albrecht Dürer, depicting a variety of wild plants. Created over 500 years after Dürer’s piece, Stealing Moments demonstrates the constant evolution of botanical art forms.

“As an artist who draws constant inspiration from the beauty, shapes and structures of our precious natural world, I’m delighted to be bringing my work to Kew Gardens for the first time this April,” said Quayyum Agha.

Running simultaneously is Plants of the Qur’ān, an exhibition of 25 new botanical paintings by Sue Wickison. After travelling in the Middle East, Wickison worked alongside Kew scientist Dr Shahina Ghazanfar to research and record plants referenced in the Qur’ān, including garlic, pomegranate, date palms and henna. Highlighting the cultural, agricultural and botanical significance of a variety of species, the exhibition allows visitors to explore the cultural context of these often-everyday plants, alongside their role in modern medicine, as food, and in gardens around the world. “After six years of researching, sourcing and illustrating the many plants which are described in the Qur’ān, it’s wonderful to be able to celebrate the culmination of this work with this new exhibition,” she explained. Kew Gardens' Maria Devaney said: “Whilst their working styles vary hugely in terms of technique, both share a profound connection to nature, recognising the breadth of inspiration which can be drawn from the world around us.”

Until 17 Sept 2023, Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Kew Gardens. Gallery entry included in admission.