Pamela Pauline reimagines classical floral still lifes with endangered Australian species

Photographic artist Pamela Pauline presents an exhibition at The Garden Gallery in Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden from April 9 to 26, 2026. Her work reconstructs classical floral still life traditions using Australian native flora and fauna, many of which face extinction threats. Pauline draws compositional inspiration from historical artists including Rachel Ruysch, Ambrosius Bosschaert, Jan van Huysum, and Jan Brueghel. Each piece is meticulously constructed from hundreds of photographs taken at botanic gardens, bush locations, and conservation sanctuaries across Australia. The resulting arrangements explore themes of beauty, loss, and resilience through carefully balanced compositions. One featured work, "Flowers in a Wooden Vessel after Jan Brueghel," measures 100 × 80cm. The Sydney-based artist sources living collections from various Australian conservation sites for her photographic artworks.