Dried botanical artworks and exhibitions
SUSTAINABLE FLORAL ART
Natures form
Experiential, dried & immersive
The ancient Japanese philosophy of Wabi-sabi an appreciation of the imperfect, impermanent, and transient, has long influenced Emily’s approach to dried botanical work. Within this perspective, age, variation, and irregularity are not flaws, but qualities that deepen beauty and meaning.
While this philosophy stands in contrast to the polished perfection often associated with mainstream floristry, it has become central to the evolution of Design by Nature. As the practice has matured, focus has shifted toward the abstract, sculptural forms that dried flowers naturally take as they age and change.
These personal works explore dried botanicals as material rather than decoration, allowing imperfections to remain visible and compositions to develop slowly. Through this considered approach, Emily creates immersive floral sculptures that reflect a quieter, more reflective relationship with nature. One that embraces transience rather than resisting it.
Art works
Take inspiration from our favourite projects
Private Gallery Presentation
This exhibition emerged during Design by Nature’s transition from fresh floristry to working primarily with dried botanicals. At that time, flowers from weddings and events were carefully repurposed and dried, allowing materials that would otherwise be discarded to take on a second life.
Guided by the philosophy of Wabi-sabi, the exhibition invited viewers to move through the space and engage closely with the artworks, observing the quiet transformation of flowers as they aged, faded, and changed form. Rather than disguising decay, the works embraced it, allowing imperfection, irregularity, and time to shape each composition.
Strawberry Hill House Flower Festival 2024 & 2025
The historic architecture of the Strawberry Hill House provided a richly layered backdrop, offering a dramatic context in which to explore dried botanicals as sculptural, expressive forms.
Responding to the flower festival’s themes, the work focused on the abstract and often underappreciated qualities of dried flowers. Compositions embraced irregularity, movement, and contrast. Allowing wild, unconventional forms to emerge while remaining in dialogue with the ornate interiors and Gothic character of the space.
The resulting installations balanced floral wonder with a sense of experimentation, celebrating the individuality and expressive potential of dried botanicals within a historically significant setting.
Japanese TV NHK Sculpture collection
The Japanese television channel NHK visited Emily at her London studio to document Design by Nature’s exploration of dried botanicals within contemporary floristry. The feature focused on the creation of abstract arrangements and sculptural works, examining how dried flowers can be used as expressive material rather than decoration.
Central to the film was the influence of Wabi-sabi and how this perspective informs Emily’s modern approach to floral styling. The resulting film was broadcast across Japan’s national network, sharing Design by Natures practice and its philosophy with a wide audience.