Hanami No.1 (Lucky Yoshino) - Silk chiffon scarf

Laura Pearson-Clark, Hanami No.1 (Lucky Yoshino: The Field of Prosperity)

Exclusive to Curating Cambridge and the Cambridge University Botanic Garden Shop. Our new Yoshino Cherry tree collection has been created in collaboration with Ely-based artist Laura Pearson-Clark (Art in the Burrow). Her mixed media artwork Hanami No.1 (Lucky Yoshino: The Field of Prosperity) gives a contemporary vision of the Yoshino tree that grows on the Main Lawn of the Botanic Garden, showing the roots and mycelium of the soil as well as the iconic blossom.

Laura says: "Hanami No.1 depicts the Botanic Garden’s Yoshino cherry tree in full bloom. Among the earliest flowering trees of spring, the Yoshino is celebrated for its delicately scented white blossoms and elegant structure. The title references the tree’s sacred significance in Japanese culture and the tradition of Hanami, the act of pausing to notice and appreciate blossom. Decorative roots intertwine with an intricate network of fungi known as arbuscular mycorrhizae, forming part of the mycelial system often described as the “wood wide web.” In nature, this symbiotic relationship allows fungi to provide water and mineral nutrients to the tree, while receiving sugars in return; a quiet, unseen exchange that sustains growth and renewal."

Materials used in the composition of the artwork include acrylic, ink, acrylic pen, pencil and collaged handmade papers, which are layered to echo the complexity and delicacy of the living systems represented.

Product details: 

• Habotai silk scarf
• Approx. 150 x 33.5 cm
• Hand-rolled hem