Flowers in Contemporary Art

Rheged’s Gallery is delighted to launch its Summer Exhibition “In Bud & Bloom”, which is open every day from Friday 18 July to Sunday 5 October 2025.

Curated by the Gallery Team, the exhibition showcases over 220 works by 43 UK artists, including 13 based in Cumbria, across 21mediums. 

From the delicate intricacy of paper art, ceramics and textiles to the bold expression of sculpture, and immersive installations, In Bud & Bloom invites visitors to explore the many ways artists engage with flowers both visually and symbolically.

Rheged’s art exhibitions always include a strong link to Cumbria and In Bud and Bloom is no exceptions. The exhibition journey starts with an exploration of nine of Cumbria’s renowned gardens, including Acorn Bank, Blackwell, Brantwood, Dalemain House, Hill Top, Hutton in the Forest, Holehird, Lowther Castle, Muncaster Castle, many of which hold national collections and have long served as muses for artists and designers. Visitors will discover the floral influences of the Arts and Crafts movement in Cumbria, seen in interiors and garden design by artists like Morris & Co. and Baillie Scott. 

At the heart of the exhibition, visitors will discover a vibrant collection of contemporary works by both established and emerging artists. The show features six artists who exhibited earlier in the year in the “Flowers” Exhibition at the Saatchi Contemporary Art Gallery in London, four artists whose work featured in this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show and one whose work was a key draw at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. In addition, there are five exquisite botanical artworks on loan from the historic Chelsea Physic Garden. 

The exhibition showcases a diverse range of media including painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, photography, paper art, and mixed media installations, many of which will be available to purchase. Other themes that are explored are the language of flowers, floriography, folklore, and the symbolic, healing, and even harmful powers long associated with botanical life. 

Visitors will also gain rare access to the creative process through displays of artists’ sketchbooks and studio footage. Families are invited to take part in a fun and creative paper flower-making activity within the exhibition designed for children, making In Bud & Bloom an inspiring day out for all ages. Gallery Curator and Manager Claire Harrison says “Our goal was to create a vibrant, immersive experience that celebrates the relationship between art and the natural world. 

Few subjects inspire artists quite like flowers and gardens and here in Cumbria, we're lucky to be surrounded by some truly remarkable ones. 

Flowers have long held symbolic, emotional, and cultural significance, and this exhibition brings together an extraordinary range of 43 artists who explore those meanings through diverse materials and perspectives.” 

Open to visitors from 9:30am to 5pm daily on Friday 18 July to Sunday 5 October. Admission is £3 per ticket with 12 & under going free.

There are also a series of prebooked “flower” themed creative classes led by artists as well as daily floral block printing session in the Children’s Making Space.

To book visit www.rheged.com.