Botanical Threads with Lindl Lawton

From inks to medicine, food to fabric, discover the rich stories held within a single plant specimen.

Inspired by the sculptural plant specimens featured in Mehwish Iqbal's exhibition Bait-al-Nahl – The House of Bees, Lindl Lawton from Adelaide's Museum of Economic Botany explores how plants are woven into cultures and histories.

Discussing the role of the Museum of Economic Botany, the last museum of its kind in the world and part of the South Australian Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, Lawton will share the long history of it's permanent collection of plant materials and delicately crafted papier-mâché models, many of which date back 130 years to the museum's original displays.

Joined by artist Mehwish Iqbal, the conversation will also consider her current Bundanon exhibition, Bait-al-Nahl – The House of Bees. Iqbal's exhibition includes sculptural renditions of particular plant specimens, including a vast field of hand-cast ceramic poppies, a series of porcelain sycamore seed pods reflecting on contested identities and place, and a contemplative installation of individually carved porcelain date seeds exploring mourning, remembrance and the rituals of Ramadan. These pieces represent the artist's ongoing exploration of the complex relationships between humans and the natural world.