vivien hollingsworth – roses of heliogabalus

Garfield, VIC

I’m a floral designer with a fine art background. The commercial side of my job involves weddings and events, but I also work on personal projects. The Roses of Heliogabalus is a recreation of the 1888 painting by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Alma-Tadema paints Roman emperor Heliogabalus smothering his unsuspecting guests with rose petals released from a false ceiling. We invited viewers to enter the installation and feel the sensation of cascading blooms while getting lost in the beauty of the flowers. The piece was constructed using locally gown and foraged flowers, as well as imported blooms. Many were dipped in wax, before being threaded through wires by a team of florists.

flosbotanical.studio