Evin Art Gallery hosted Işık Güner's solo exhibition Botanical Illustration from Life from 8 December 2020 to 9 January 2021. The exhibition was prepared in tandem with the first Turkish edition of Güner's book Dibujo de Botánica (Botanical Illustration from Life), originally published in Spain in 2017 and subsequently translated into English and French.
Işık Güner has been a botanical artist for more than ten years, having completed a degree in Environmental Engineering before devoting herself fully to the field. She has painted wild plants across many parts of the world and contributed to several plant conservation projects. The book — three years in the making — was translated into Turkish under the title Doğanın Detaylarını Görmek. It is the first book published in Turkey to describe botanical illustration in a scientific manner, outlining the techniques involved. Alongside detailed guidance on the methods used when illustrating plants, the book introduces native species from various parts of the world. In recent years Güner has contributed to conservation projects including Beauty of Orchids, China and Plants of Nepal; works from these projects are held in the collections of Shirley Sherwood, London; the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh; and the Hunt Institute, USA. She currently serves as art editor on the Illustrated Flora of Turkey project and teaches on the Distance Diploma Course in Botanical Illustration at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Sharing its title with the book, the exhibition displayed more than fifty works. Herbarium specimens of several plants depicted in the paintings were also on show, providing a richer context for the work. Each botanical illustration offered the viewer a journey to a different part of the world. Rather than presenting only finished paintings, Güner shared the full arc of her process — drawing exercises, sketches and colour experiments — bringing the audience into the making of a painting as well as its completion. The exhibition offered a long and absorbing adventure in the world of plants, reflecting Güner's deeply held belief in botanical illustration as a way of life.
Botanical Illustration from Life was on view at Evin Art Gallery until 9 January 2021.
An Exhibition During a Pandemic
The Botanical Illustration from Life book project finally came to a close with this exhibition. The book continues its life in new translations, but for me this exhibition was the last piece — the moment that completed the project, so that I could begin dreaming of new ones.
Organising an exhibition is always a challenge; organising one during a pandemic is a greater one still. I deliberated for a long time over whether to go ahead, but in the end I decided that, whatever happened, I needed to close this chapter. It turned out to be the right decision. Despite everything, the gallery welcomed visitors every single day. The Turkish edition of the book very nearly sold out, and many of the original artworks found their new homes.
We also prepared a small series of videos for those who couldn't attend in person. In such strange times, it felt right to take the exhibition to the people, rather than waiting for the people to come to the exhibition. I hope you enjoy watching them here.
Words are not enough to express my gratitude. Thank you to everyone who paid attention to my second solo exhibition.
