Blooming marvellous exhibition explores the beauty of flower power
Press release; 5 March 2026
Flamboyant floral creations have burst into life this spring in a new exhibition paying tribute to the unique beauty of the natural world.
Botanically Beautiful: Art and Design Inspired by Nature at Lotherton explores how colourful depictions of flowers, fruits, leaves and trees have taken root in the worlds of art, design and fashion, inspiring a vast array of eye-catching works across history.
Featuring everything from ceramics and furniture, to silver and silks, the exhibition examines the different ways nature has made its way from garden to gallery, decorating our homes and clothing over the centuries.
Among the stunning objects on display are a selection of elaborate garments including an 18th century dress made from high-quality, intricate silk fabrics woven in the Spitalfields district of East London, as well as dresses from the 1960s and 70s.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to see wallpapers by renowned designer William Morris, taken from the Sanderson Archive.
Best known as one of the 19th century’s most famed interior designers, Morris was also a poet, artist, writer, and activist who championed the principles of handmade production. His unmistakable style often featured plant patterns and depictions of nature. The exhibitions also features a design created by Morris’s daughter Mary, who was herself a talented designer, embroider and activist.
Also on display is a breath-taking silver pagoda epergne, crafted by silversmith Thomas Pitts in 1759 and topped with a decorative pineapple, symbolising hospitality.
A remarkable example of a type of table centrepiece which became the height of fashion in the middle of the 18th century, the dazzling epergne would have contained fruits and delicacies for dessert.
Other exhibits include innovative furniture by Voysey and Pugin and a huge range of antique ceramics shaped in the forms of various fruits, flowers and vegetables.
More modern highlights include an Andy Goldsworthy leaf sculpture, David Nash's Tree of Life drawing, ceramicist Kate Malone's Hedgerow vase and a recent contemporary silver acquisition by Ndidi Ekubia.
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.”
Alongside the exhibition, Botanically Beautiful also features a programme of activities inspired by the collection, including sculpture workshops, flower making and musical performances.
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.”
Botanically Beautiful will be at Lotherton until October 18.
Find out more about Botanically Beautiful
Photography by David Lindsay
