Flora Fauna and Folklore

Flora, Fauna, and Folklore
by Martha Iserman

The Memo Healesville
On Display 10 Jul 2025 - 28 Sep 2025

 

This exhibition bridges the disciplines of scientific illustration and myth, exploring how species and landscapes have shaped human belief across cultures. 

Through detailed watercolour and oil paintings, Martha Iserman explores how humans have long assigned meaning to the natural world, shaping stories, legends, and ritual practices around the species that surround us. 

Each section of the exhibition represents a different environment: ocean, forest, sky, and the artist’s realm aligned with the four classical elements of water, earth, air, and fire. The ocean wall reflects the vast unknown, where real creatures have inspired tales of the abyss. The forest floor pulses with hidden life fungi forming fairy rings, insects and animals linked to transformation and alchemical symbolism. The sky wall examines birds and insects as celestial messengers, tied to omens, spirits, and the occult. Finally, the artist’s realm represents the act of creation, where natural history and esoteric knowledge converge. By merging scientific illustration with folklore, the exhibition inhabits the space between knowledge and mystery, inviting viewers to see the duality in nature. 

More than a collection of paintings, this exhibition is an experience - an invitation to explore the liminal space between science and mysticism. It asks viewers to consider how nature has always been a source of knowledge, mystery, and power, influencing both scientific discovery and the hidden forces that shape human belief.