Botanical art finds its home

Since 2023, the Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden (SUBG) has hosted an annual botanical art exhibition, inviting artists to work closely with rare and endangered species from its collections. This work has contributed to the James & Shirley Sherwood Botanical Art Collection, a growing permanent collection that reflects both the diversity of South African flora and the skill of the artists interpreting it.

On 8 May 2026, this collection will be formally housed in the newly established SU Botanical Garden Gallery – a dedicated space for botanical art within the SUBG.

Botanical illustration documents plants with precision, capturing form, structure, and detail in a way that remains accessible throughout the years. For species that are seasonal, short-lived, or easily overlooked, this provides a more constant point of reference.

Each artwork is developed with access to live specimens and supported by scientific reference material – all of which is provided by the SUBG. To ensure accuracy, each artwork is carefully checked, ensuring that the collection remains both visually engaging and botanically reliable.

The gallery will focus on rare, endangered, and under-documented species, many of which are only visible or identifiable for short periods in their natural environments. Through illustration, their presence becomes easier to recognise and engage with.

Situated in the Garden’s restored historic office building, the SU Botanical Garden Gallery provides a permanent home for the James & Shirley Sherwood Botanical Art Collection, alongside the Brendel botanical models, and a selection of newly acquired works.

Together, these elements extend the Garden’s collections beyond the living landscape, offering visitors another way to encounter and reflect on its plant diversity.