Unit X - Year 3 - Identity Through Nature

Identity Through Nature 

London - Kew Gardens

Towards the end of the practice unit, I produced repeat patterns using watercolour drawings and paintings of plants and I found that this form of work described my interest in nature and matched my skills.  For my unit X, I plan to develop this skill further and produce patterns for professional interior designs such as wallpaper, bedding and other soft furnishing.  

All the above - watercolour painting on paper done by me.

For my practice, I aim to research plants from India and UK, to combine them to symbolise my change to a different nationality.  I was adopted into this country by my English mum at age 15 and even though I am very happy with the life I have here, I feel a part of me is/or will always be in India.  I remember drawing and hand embroidering plants and flowers as one of my favourite things to do as a child, as well as being in charge of my own little patch of garden in one of the children’s homes.  The title of this project is ‘identity through nature’ because I wanted to connect the memories and continue my practice with designs which resonate with me.

Kew Garden, London

Kew Garden, London

Kew Garden, London

Kew Garden, London

I started this brief off with a trip to London on the 6/7th of February, The Kew Gardens and Liberty for inspiration and research.  Kew was amazing for the different types of plants from all over the world.  Although it was February, they had hot houses with different climate zones including tropical and they had an Orchid Festival with a beautiful range colours and different types of orchids.  Liberty, another amazing place for inspiration had beautiful collections of fabric prints in the theme I am interested in.  

London - Liberty

I also visited the Edinburgh Botanical Garden with a friend who was visiting from India and it was fascinating because she kept pointing out all the plants that grow in India, which is basically everything.  I found this helpful because having been in this country for over 10 years I can’t pinpoint which plants were from India.  

In Manchester I visited shops such as Paperchase, Abakhan and other stores for inspiration on design using natural form.

First Colour Palette Experiments using photographs from the Kew Gardens

Brusho on paper.  I did this colour experiment because one of the most popular Indian festivals, Holi, is imminent and I wanted to bring that festival into my work. I decided against it because it involves every colour possible as Holi is a celebration of colours and new beginnings and I wanted a refined colour choice.  

My drawings are inspired by photographs I took to document my visit to Kew and I also developed my colour palette from a selection of these photographs. I chose these colours, firstly because I’ve been using this combination of colours within my previous work and I still find it inspiring. Secondly, the colours orange, white, green and blue are in the Indian flag and I wanted to show the significance of my heritage.  

Final Colour Palette - London - Kew Gardens

Indian Flag - I used the above colours to make this.

Meaning behind the different colours in the Indian flag :

“Saffron: Saffron is a symbol of courage and sacrifice.

White: The white colour represents honesty, peace, and purity. It highlights the importance of maintaining peace in the country.

Green: The green colour represents faith and chivalry. It is a symbol of prosperity, vibrancy, and life.

Ashoka Chakra: At the centre of the white band is a wheel with 24 spokes in navy blue colour that indicates the Dharma Chakra (Wheel of Law)”.  

https://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/national-flag.htm