28 March 2026 | Time: To be announced | Online — ASBA Spring Symposium
In this online presentation, Işık Güner shares insights from a two-year artistic and research project exploring orchids through botanical illustration and traditional Chinese Gōng bĭ painting. The talk examines the beauty, diversity, and vulnerability of wild orchids, and reflects on how careful observation and disciplined artistic methods can communicate conservation concerns. Blending artistic process with botanical understanding, the presentation invites a deeper, more mindful engagement with these remarkable plants.
Orchids have captivated people for thousands of years with their remarkable forms and striking beauty — yet this very allure has placed many species under threat in their native habitats. In The Beauty of Orchids / 蘭之魅 Lán Zhī Mèi, Işık Güner explores the complex intersection of botanical art, conservation, and cultural fascination with orchids. Through a carefully curated selection of scientific watercolour illustrations and traditional Gōng bĭ Chinese art, the project highlights the decline of wild orchids, particularly those affected by over-collection and the ornamental plant trade.
In this online presentation, Işık will share insights from a two-year artistic and research project, discussing how close observation, disciplined working methods, and artistic decision-making can help communicate ecological urgency. She will reflect on how botanical illustration can raise awareness, encourage mindful engagement, and celebrate orchid diversity while drawing attention to their vulnerability. The talk weaves together artistic process, botanical understanding, and conservation concerns, inviting viewers to see orchids not only as objects of beauty, but as living beings within fragile ecosystems.
Date: 28 March 2026
Time: To be announced
Format: Online presentation — ASBA Spring Symposium