Flowers have always been deeply ingrained in our culture for their beauty, symbolism, and amazing ability to triple in price when they hear someone whisper the word wedding. Truly, they are wonders of nature.
And this new show at the Saatchi Gallery – Flowers: Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture – explores that relationship in a rather striking, interesting, and occasionally unsettling way. (Want to get a look for yourself? Check out our Reel).
It’s set over a sprawling maze of over 500 works, a mix of paintings, sculptures, and installations that explore nature, beauty, and the inevitable march toward decay. Think grand, hyper-saturated floral paintings that make you feel like you’re inside a particularly ambitious still life, alongside sculptural installations that use metal, glass, and recycled materials to mimic nature in a way that’s both breathtaking and slightly unnerving.
The star of the show is probably La Fleur Morte by Rebecca Louise Law. It involves over 100,000 dried flowers suspended in the air, which took two years to make, and features blooms that have been growing for over 15 years. It’s part ghostly garden, part love letter to the ephemeral, and fully mesmerizing. Walking through it feels like stepping into a botanical time capsule—beautiful, delicate, and legitimately haunting.
Another highlight: a mixed media room that went full flower-nerd with an exhaustive collection of floral album covers and movie posters. Honestly, it’s impressive just for the sheer, staggering number of hours that must have gone into the research and curation alone—it’s so exhaustive. Also, it gives you the chance to take a seat and watch Midsommar, because nothing says ‘floral appreciation’ quite like ritual sacrifice in a sun-drenched Scandinavian commune.
There’s a striking contrast throughout the exhibition—lush, joyful explosions of color sit alongside moody, contemplative pieces, creating a dynamic journey through the contradictions of floral symbolism. Some works celebrate nature’s vibrancy, others mourn its impermanence, and some simply revel in the sheer aesthetic pleasure of petals.
It’s beautiful, eerie, thought-provoking, and, ultimately, an excellent way to spend an afternoon contemplating your own fleeting mortality. Or, you know, just vibing with some really good art.
NOTE: Flowers: Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture is open now at the Saatchi Gallery, until 5th May 2025. Tickets cost £20 and area available from the Saatchi Gallery website.
Want a look for yourself? Check out our Reel.
Saatchi Gallery | Duke of York’s HQ, SW3 4RY
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