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• Singular Study: Plant Portraits Botanical Arts by Heeyoung Kim · 2011

Singular Study: Plant Portraits
Botanical Arts by Heeyoung Kim

Plants are the most fundamental element in human life; food, medicine, fibers, lumbers, fuels, oils, and so on and so forth. We can name an endless list of the plant usages in our daily life. That is why plant studies and documentations started with human history.
In the 21st century human beings are facing an unprecedented era with environmental disasters. One of these threats is the decreasing number of plants. According to NatureServe estimation, nearly 5,000 species out of 20,000 US flora are of conservation concern. Fortunately, there is good possibility we, as an individual, can do for the conservation of this valuable resource. Planting indigenous plants in our gardens is an excellent way to create manmade nature-like habitats that attract pollinators and seed dispersers, which will eventually help restore healthy ecosystem.

As an artist I have realized an urgent action is needed for getting public awareness to this rapid disappearance of plants, right in our neighborhood. For that purpose I have done extensive field researches about native plants in Chicago area, including rare and endangered species, along with help from conservationists, horticulturist, and artist colleagues. Through participation in prestigious international botanical exhibitions, I can have access to broader public and tell this message by showing beautiful images of the plants which is often overlooked. 

“Losing Paradise? Endangered Plants Here and Around the World”, an ongoing traveling exhibition hosted by the American Society of Botanical Artists with collaborations by the Center for Plant Conservation and Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, is an example for drawing public attention to this issue.

I use watercolor, graphite pencils, pen-and-ink, colored pencils or oil accordingly to fit best with my subjects. I try to create aesthetically pleasing, yet scientifically informative artworks with classic elegance, yet modern simplicity.
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Passion and patience are required to draw or paint wildflowers. Working in situ with minimum equipment for maximum protection of the plant habitats, years long tracking for full life cycles of rare plants, and risky situations in remote places are necessary parts of creating wildflower botanicals. My pleasure, however, is beyond my description in documenting Midwest native plants hoping their beauty and significance will be shared with the world.