Dale Chihuly: Reflections on Nature at Kew Gardens

Dale Chihuly, the iconic glass artist, has been working in this medium since the 1960s. Inspired by the flowers that grew in his families garden, he has created a number of pieces that draw direct inspiration from the plants he saw. Although i didn't realise until after this exhibition, i have seen a number of his works before. The floral installation on the ceiling in the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas (created in 1998) boasts over 2000 glass-blown flowers, and the chandelier that hangs in the Victoria and Albert Museum (2001) is something i have admired on my numerous visits but never made the connection.

This exhibition features 22 of Chihuly's glass-blown pieces that are embedded, quite beautifully, amongst the landscape and flora and fauna of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. It takes a while to find them all and some of the greenhouses hold more than the one piece indicated on the map (the Temperate House alone holds 11 different pieces, some of which are quite well hidden). 

The exhibition is on until October 26th and well worth the visit. They also run a night tour where you can see the exhibits lit up at night. A book is available to buy that accompanies the exhibition and you can read more on the Kew Gardens website. Take a look below at some of the pictures.