Cowslip arrangement by Yinari, photography by Hugo Rittson-Thomas
Many of the wildflowers that Hugo photographed were foraged and styled into Ikebana inspired arrangements by London floral studio Yinari.
Rittson-Thomas’ famed mirror technique, at the heart of his 2015 exhibition The Queen’s People, is also used once again to showcase the delicacy of flowers from multiple angles, beautifully showcasing their exhilarating patterns, colours, textures and shapes; whether the photographed flower is in abundance (bluebell or cowslip) or rarely sighted (monkey orchid or lady orchid).
All photos (c) Hugo Rittson-Thomas
Wildflowers For The Queen also raises the question of conservation in Britain. Meadows are one of the UK’s most species-rich and biodiverse habitats, supporting nearly 800 types of flowers and plants, along with 400 species of pollinators and other insects.
Today, surviving fragments of flower-rich meadows and pastures only account for 1% of UK land as we have lost an alarming 7.5 million acres since the 1930s. Most are now too small to qualify for legal protection, meaning that ancient meadows that have existed for a century can disappear in a morning under the plough.
Young visitors are invited to partake in the exhibition by sticking their own wildflower or pollinator drawing to a large scale meadow photograph (materials will be provided). Rittson-Thomas wants as many young people to add their drawing as a reminder of how much life thrives in a wildflower meadow.
