This year will mark the 20th annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden—and as per usual, it’s expected to be “overwhelmingly beautiful”!
Each year, the New York Botanical Garden showcases one of the world’s most delicate flowers in a special Orchid Show that takes over and completely transforms the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. This year’s show, which will be a “meditative and captivating design,” will begin February 18, 2023.
The guest designer will be artist Lily Kwong—NYBG’s very own former student from its Adult Education program.
Titled “Natural Heritage,” the exhibit was inspired by Kwong’s “ancestral connections to the natural world.” The installations, made from thousands of orchids, draw from classical paintings of Chinese mountainscapes that were passed down through her family.
“This is the most autobiographical work I’ve done,” shared Kwong in an interview. She has pulled from art objects and her Chinese roots to hopefully inspire onlookers to reflect on their own personal stories.
“As the first woman of color to step into the role as guest designer, it felt urgent to celebrate an Asian-centered perspective in the midst of this charged and precarious moment,” she said. “The piece is meant to offer a bridge of cultural understanding across the valley between us, and act as an invitation to celebrate the diverse lineages that make up our country.”
Previous work from Kwong have been shown in the New Yorker, Vogue, Architectural Digest, Domino, Forbes and across NYC at the High Line and within Grand Central Station.
Hear more from Kwong herself and the upcoming show in the video below:
To add to the good news, “Orchid Evenings” will return to NYBG on select Saturdays in March & April from 7–10 p.m. Guests can enjoy the exhibition at night with music, food and drink!
We recommend that you try and make some time in your busy schedule over the next few months to catch this stunning show that’ll take us colorfully into spring.
The exhibit will be on display from Saturday, February 18 – Sunday, April 23, 2023. Grab tickets to NYBG here.
Also published on Medium.