The work: Tania Nguyen, Field of Dreams, 2022. Pressed flowers and Perspex in frame, 30 x 42cm. $400.Photo: Bonny VFP. Courtesy: the artist
In the works of Tania Nguyen, spring blooms eternal in carefully curated arrangements of flowers. Having discovered the art of flower pressing in Japan, she has been refining her practice for several years to best showcase the endless variations of shape and hue of plants. With her piece Field of Dreams, the artist wished to “create a fresh spring feeling, when we welcome new florals and life into our home”. The dusky pinks and sharp oranges cascade diagonally across the pane, interspersed with pure white blooms and foliage. The use of clear Perspex makes the work seem like a window looking out onto a landscape renewed with the passing of winter, capturing a moment in time. Longevity is a key aspect of the work, with the various techniques for pressing flowers keeping them fresh for posterity, rather than letting them go to waste and whither. “I thought there must be a better way to sustain the beauty of flowers, rather than throwing them away,” says Nguyen. “Preserving them gives them a new form of life and purpose.” Part landscape, part still-life, this work is a celebration of nature and it’s many creations, halting the passage of time so that the beauty of these flowers can live on even as spring fades.