Inherited

The Inherited sub-collection draws on floriography to explore traditional Victorian constructions of femininity, using fully floral motifs to create dynamic compositions across three panel scales. The selected flowers act as symbolic carriers of meaning, reflecting how femininity has historically been defined through ideals of beauty, virtue and emotional sensitivity.

Motifs such as the orchid, lily and tulip reference qualities of delicacy, purity and admiration, echoing cultural narratives that positioned women as ornamental and morally refined. Within this context, femininity was often associated with the domestic sphere, where expression was channelled through decoration, subtlety and visual language. Flowers became a means of communicating identity, emotion and social value in ways that were both coded and constrained.

Additional motifs, including the iris, poppy and peony, introduce themes of memory, devotion and aspiration, suggesting the emotional depth that sits beneath these surface ideals. Together, the compositions reflect a version of femininity that is both constructed and inherited, shaped by expectation yet rich with symbolic meaning.

By working with floral forms in their most recognisable state, this sub-collection establishes the foundation of the narrative, presenting femininity as it has traditionally been understood, before it is transformed in later stages of the collection.