Julia has a multidisciplinary approach with a strong research base. Her work explores interests in ethno botany embodying many layered considerations and narratives including social, environmental, historical, symbolic and spiritual.
Inspired by the historical and contemporary traditions of Botanical Art and Contemporary Art practice, Julia mixes traditional with non-traditional techniques.
Engaging with plant material or samples accessed from her local landscape, National Plant Collections and Community Projects.
Julia also collects then processes plant material to make work inspired by the Japanese tradition of Oshibana.
Her Art Practice is informed by over twenty years experience working in Community Growing projects, gardens and City Farms. She started to volunteer in the garden at Hackney City Farm where her studio overlooked the garden, developing a passion and then career in horticulture. Gradually her Art practice was informed by the gardening work especially the later therapeutic horticulture running the Market Garden/ Herb Workshops at the Blackthorn Trust in Kent.
Julia won the Kent Creative Award for her practice in 2016.
A member of the Bedgebury Pinetum Florilegium Society whose endeavours are to highlight the collection of rare and internationally threatened conifers.
Julia is also a member of the newly formed Cedric Morris Florilegium painting Cedrics’ beautiful iris cultivars.
Future projects include the Royal College of Physicians Exhibition in 2018 celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Pharmacopoeia Londinensis.
Website: www.juliagroves.co.uk
