Tessera

I have just received a copy of the impressive catalog of "Plumes du Paradis" (Plumes of Paradise) exhibition at the Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac in Paris, which explores the cultural and environmental colonial journey of birds of paradise from New Guinea to the world.

While in Milan last autumn, I had the great pleasure of meeting botanical artist Margherita Leoni, who has been leading illustration courses at the Orto Botanico di Brera since 2000.

It's always a joy to see the tulip tree bloom at this time of the year. One of the most spectacular North American native trees, Liriodendron tulipifera has been used by many Indigenous tribes to carve canoes as it grows particularly straight and tall.

From my essay “Henry Moore’s Trees and the Groundlessness of Existence,” included in the catalogue of the Kew Gardens exhibition Henry Moore: Monumental Nature:

Hello gorgeous! Came across this baby garter snake close to the house. Unlike most snake species that lay eggs, garter snakes give birth to live young (typically 15 to 40 snakelets at a time).

The tiny bell-shaped blooms of heuchera are some of spring best treats. They invite us to look closer at tiny details and recalibrate our moments of presence. #plants #heuchera #small

In Mina Jin’s painting, the house appears to have surrendered its traditional privilege as the symbolic center of the landscape. The houses don't register. For once we are blind to human constructs instead of plants. \

And as the weather stabilizes the overwintering chrysalis of black swallowtails hatch! Gosh the sheer beauty. It's always special to witness the first flight of a butterfly and notice how the initial awkwardness turns into competence within a few seconds. #butterflies #spring #chicago

Happy birthday, David Attenborough! 100 -- what a remarkable life spent discovering, loving, and sharing the incredible nature that makes our planet so unique. As a kid I religiously watched his documentaries. At the time, they used to play after lunch-time -- every day. Mesmerizing.

While at MiArt recently I came across this gorgeous photograph by Joanna Piotrowska (Untitled, 2019) and of course I stopped in my tracks! Such beautiful awkwardness. The artist is interested in creating images that are open to interpretation, suggestive, but intentionally unresolved.

Today is the 40th anniversary of the tragic Chernobyl incident. In this article for Il Sole 24 Ore, I focus on artists who have crafted new approaches to representation in order to capture the magnitude of this disaster.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure to meet and interview the first Botanical Curator ever appointed by an institution: Rahel Kesselring at Beyeler Fondation in Basel. Supported by the CHANEL Culture Fund in Basel, this appointment signals a change of direction in the politics of eco-art.

ANTENNAE ISSUE #69 'REALISM' IS NOW ONLINE! Hot off the press for Earth Day, here's Antennae's new issue dedicated to Realism and the representation of the natural world. Realism gives us the contour of a leaf while concealing the fungal networks beneath the soil; it reveals the plumage of a

It is deeply sad that we should need an “Earth Day” at all. The very idea carries the wrong implication. The planet is not a cause among others, nor a theme to be acknowledged once a year. It is everything we have. It is the ground of every life, every hope, every future.

Jokes aside, it is deeply sad that we should need an “Earth Day” at all. The very idea carries the wrong implication. The planet is not a cause among others, nor a theme to be acknowledged once a year. It is everything we have. It is the ground of every life, every hope, every future.

Another vegetal gem from EXPOCHICAGO2026. rocki swiderski’s paintings of no-man's land and liminal spaces are full of fragile beauty. These paintings linger in the uneasy space where vulnerability is rooted in resilience:

A quick visit to Miart 2026, Milan’s contemporary art fair. One thing that struck me was the near-total absence of animals and plants in the works on view. By comparison, EXPO Chicago felt like a vegetal triumph.

Some things don't change. As I child, I was obsessed with wall lizards (Podarcis muralis Laurenti) that thrived on the perimeter wall of my kindergarten in spring and summer. Most kids played with balls and hoops. I spent time looking for them and would take friends to discover them with me.

· Shared with Public A handful of hours in London while en route to Venice. How could I not rush to Greenwich Park to see the rhododendron, azaleas and cherries in bloom? #greenwichpark #london #blooms #flores #spring

This year, @expochicago was a triumph of vegetal gorgeousness! I will share some of my highlights here over the next few days starting from Korean painter Manna Lee, here represented with 'Forest' (2023), a lush and intriguing oil on canvas.

Have you missed me on PBS Lakeshore as I discussed my book 'I'm not an artist' with Dr. Thomas J. Roach for The Roundtable Perspectives? The episode is now on Youtube at the link below. Thanks to the fantastic crew at PNW! #art #imnotanartist #book #artists

Honored to be in Venice on April 17th, to present my book 'Botanical Revolution' at Ca'Foscari University for the Center for Environmental Humanities. I will be in conversation with the wonderful Cristina Baldacci. More info and zoom link below! #art #plants #nature #botanicalrevolutions

Antennae issue #68, the third installment of the 'Garden Trilogy' is now available in print as a limited edition of 300 copies.

Episode #3 in the 'I'm Not an Artist' series is now available on Youtube. In this episode I talk about the artist myth, how it prevents creative people from organically developing fulfilling careers and how we might be better off without the word "artist" altogether. Is this a provocation?

When your spring break begins like this, you need the right soundtrack to pull you through... #spring #snow #billevans