July 11th 2026
Last weekend, a group of 14 BSBA members visited In Bloom at Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum, and we thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition
Although a great deal of history was gathered into just a few rooms, it was beautifully presented and clearly created with great care and attention to detail. The role of plants and flowers in the world is vast, and the exhibition touched on so many facets: medicinal, economic, domestic, artistic, sensory, and more.Â
As botanical artists, we particularly loved seeing pieces from the Shirley Sherwood Collection. Fiona Strickland’s poppy, Laura Silburn’s exquisite fern painting, and Rory McEwen’s rose on vellum were unforgettable highlights, and the way certain paintings and plant portraits were placed side by side really emphasised each artist’s unique focus. Ferdinand Bauer’s 350‑year‑old sketchbook, including a chart of numbered colours matching to specific pigments which he used to create the finished paintings afterwards, was fascinating.
The contemporary installations, including textiles and the striking currency‑note flower sculptures, added a lovely freshness. The two tapestries by Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, simulating the vision of bees and butterflies, highlighting how flowers remain scientifically and politically relevant today, far beyond their beauty.
We would definitely recommend visiting the exhibition before it closes on the 16th of August.
Moira Ashby, Gail Hutchinson and Arul Rambukwella