The flowering of nature-inspired art

There were more instances of public art celebrating nature in the recent past. In spring, a fluttering rainbow sprung from a section of the promenade in Wan Chai, among other installations meant to promote nature therapy. In Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, orchids were shaped into letters forming English words, highlighting the ecological challenges faced by plant life. And The Mills devoted three months to examining how the ephemeral kapok flower could prove useful while adding color to our daily lives.

Arguably the byproducts of a pandemic, these nature-inspired art shows could have been fueled by wanderlust, an obsession with mindfulness or even a desperate need to re-examine man's relationship with the universe. The other simpler reason could be that sharing a space with plants makes us feel good.

German psychologist Erich Fromm introduced the term "biophilia" in 1984. The theory is backed up by more recent studies that found putting plants in the workspace can help reduce anxiety, depression, anger and fatigue among employees. Proximity to plants also boosts creativity, concentration and overall well-being, and has proved to be a much-needed antidote to the stress caused by COVID-19.