Award-Winning Artist’s Displays at Chelsea Flowers
Award-winning botanical artist, Daleen Roodt’s artworks will be displayed at ‘Chelsea Flowers in Stanford’. Daleen, a South African artist, won three awards at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Botanical Art and Photography Show (RHS) held in London’s Saatchi Gallery in June this year. She was awarded a coveted gold medal, as well as two additional awards. The good news is that her body of work produced for the RHS show, ‘Orchids: Specialised Pollinator Interactions’ is returning to South Africa and will be on display at the ‘Chelsea Flowers in Stanford’s exhibit, alongside a replica of Leon Kluge’s floral display that received three awards at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May - this is part of the exhibitions not to be missed!
The RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show is the most prestigious botanical art show in the world. Artist’s applications are only accepted if their work is of excellent quality. Once accepted, artists have a 5-year period in which to prepare and submit their work. Artists must submit six works under a single theme; Daleen’s body of work celebrates South African orchids, a family of highly specialized flowers that Daleen is particularly passionate about.
Despite this being Daleen’s first time exhibiting at the RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show, her work was very well received. Not only was she awarded a gold medal for her submission, but her artwork “Eulophia horsfallii & Dissotis princeps with carpenter bees (Xylocopa flavorufa)” won the award for “Best Botanical Artwork” and her artwork “Disa uniflora with mountain pride butterfly (Aeropetes tulbaghia)” won the “People’s Choice Award”, an award based on votes from the public. Daleen’s win came shortly after landscape designer Leon Kluge received a gold medal for his South African flower display at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Followed up by his more recent gold at the Singapore Gardening Show, South Africa is clearly on a winning streak.
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve (one of the private sponsors for the SA display at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024) is bringing the magic back to South Africa and will be building a full-scale replica of the award-winning RHS Chelsea display in collaboration with designer Leon Kluge. Daleen’s winning artworks will be on display in the same venue along with a selection of artwork from the Grootbos Florilegium (a collection of illustrations depicting plants of the reserve). Daleen has also contributed to the Grootbos Florilegium, so it is extra fitting that her work be shown at this exhibit.
The Chelsea Flowers in Stanford exhibition will be open from 10:00 – 18:00 from 21 September - 6 October 2024. Tickets will be available at the doors, but also on the website for less.
(Information and pictures (Sven Musica) were provided by Penelope Goemans, Communications Officer)
Hardus Botha
