Handmade Wardian Case, boat fenders, enamel paint, artificial grass, foam
Dimesions of base 80 x 60 cm
Installed at IMMERSIONS, Robinson College, Cambridge, June 2022
Curated by Mattie O’Callaghan and Polly Hines, commissioned by Mattie
Ophelia is a sculpture, designed to float on water. The case is a handmade replica of a Wardian Case, a technology used to ship plants across the globe during the 19th and early 20th century. The boat fenders, are hand-painted with floral motifs taken from Ming vases, which have been studied and codified using a grid formation. The case sits upon a raft made from artificial grass and foam lashed together. The piece was a culmination of research into the historical movement of plants and colonial botany during the Victorian era.
