I’ve always believed that flowers are never just decoration. In my art, they are emotional vessels. They carry meanings, emotions, histories—just like words. And in fact, for centuries, flowers were a secret language. Through the practice of floriography, especially during the Victorian era, people expressed desire, grief, longing, and even political messages—all through specific blooms.
That symbolic language still speaks to me today. It quietly shapes the way I compose my floral pieces—from the botanical patterns I choose to the color palettes I build around them.
A Language Born in Silence
Floriography was especially powerful for those who didn’t have the freedom to speak openly—queer people, women, lovers constrained by class or convention. A carefully chosen bouquet could say what words could not. And that legacy matters. My work often explores what is felt but unspoken. What better tool than flowers to say it?
Take the work “Vita & Virginia” as an example. It’s inspired by the intense, intellectual, and romantic bond between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West—a connection sustained in part through literature, gardens, and codes. The interlacing vines and botanical flourishes in that piece are more than visual texture. They symbolize entanglement, legacy, longing—and growth.
Floriography isn’t just decoration. It’s a coded message. A system of expression that refuses to be loud, but is deeply, defiantly personal.
Explore my fantasy art poster "Virginia & Vita"
🌼 Common Flowers and Their Meanings in My Work
Let me share a few recurring symbols you might notice in my floral art prints:
-
Daisies (seen in "SPROUT", "SUN", and "FLOW")
Traditionally linked to innocence, purity, and truth. In my work, they often represent raw honesty—a kind of unguarded presence that doesn’t need to prove anything. Their repetition feels like a grounding ritual. -
Peonies
Though less botanically literal in my pieces, their full, rounded form has long been associated with hidden desire and romance. Think of them as flowers that say, “I want, but I’m afraid to ask.” -
Poppies (especially in "VASE" variants)
These often symbolize sleep, dreams, and loss, but also resistance. Poppies bloom in war zones. Their message is dual: vulnerability and endurance. -
Bell-shaped blooms (like in "VASE Black and White")
I often use stylized, bell-like flowers to hint at secrets or calls to attention. They ring visually—calling you to notice something deeper or hidden. -
Intertwining vines and tendrils
You’ll find them across many of my pieces, from "FLOW" to "EMBRYO". They speak of connection—sometimes romantic, sometimes spiritual, sometimes ancestral. I use them to imply touch without physical presence.
See my abstract art poster "FLOW"
Why I Paint Flowers That Don’t Look Like Flowers
Some of my floral motifs are clearly identifiable. Others are imagined—almost alien. That’s intentional. The real language of floriography was never just about roses and lilies. It was also about invention and interpretation. I allow form to stretch and morph in my work, not to confuse, but to expand the space for meaning.
Sometimes I draw a flower like a mouth, like in my “VASE” series—because so many emotions get spoken through that shape. Sometimes I render petals like tears or eyes (see: "EMBRYO"). Because often, the flower is watching, or feeling, or revealing something.
Color as Symbol
In floriography, color matters just as much as species. A red tulip and a yellow one tell completely different stories. I try to harness this power in my floral art prints:
-
Lilac or violet (like “VASE Lilac” or “SUN”) carries associations with enchantment, transition, and sometimes queerness—especially within sapphic symbolism.
-
Yellow (like “VASE Mustard”) was once a color of jealousy in Victorian floriography—but I use it to explore themes of inner sunshine, self-nourishment, and reclaimed brightness.
-
Black and white (as in “VASE Black and White”) reduces the symbol to pure form and energy. A rejection of performative color. A whisper.
Discover my floral art poster "BLOSSOM"
Why It Still Matters
In an age of oversharing, floriography reminds me that some messages thrive in subtlety. That beauty can carry weight. That soft things can hold sharp truths.
Through these prints, I invite the viewer to feel into the quiet—into the coded, the symbolic, and the emotionally charged. Whether you know the meanings or not, your body does. We all have a gut understanding of what a flower can mean.
Explore full collection of floral wall art prints & posters.
