Cancer Collaboration Pieces - The Thought Behind...
We as artists collaborate for a wide variety of reasons, to share our work, for fun, and most importantly to pay tribute. We pay tribute to our favourite shows and movies, but there comes a time when one needs to reflect on the more serious side of life.
Cancer in all its forms takes on average 8 million lives per year and I feel it is fair to assume that most people have had a loved one who has suffered through this horrendous disease.
For this collaboration we memorialize these loved ones in our flowers as a symbol of our love for them and their ordeal. It is a tribute to those we have lost through cancer, those who live with it everyday and those who have beaten it; and of course not to forget all the caregivers.
All my cancer collaboration pieces are dedicated to my father who was diagnosed with cancer 9 years ago and is now cancer free.
2016
Flight!
Birds of Paradise, as one of the more unusual flowers, symbolise joy through challenges and success alike; optimism toward the future, royalty and regal in bearing; freedom – due to the flowers’ resemblance to a bird in flight.
Anthuriums symbolise happiness and abundance. Passion Flowers symbolise opening yourself completely to explore the innermost passions of your heart and a passion for life. The Chinese symbolism of the Monstera leaves is long life, honouring and respecting elders.
Each flower in this arrangement symbolises all that I wish for my father from the bottom of my heart. I am ever grateful to God for having given him a second chance so that he may savour life to its fullest.
I dedicate this arrangement to my father for all that he means to me.
2017
Harmony!
For this piece, I have used a cool colour palette to symbolise the peace and tranquillity that envelopes my father now, as he is now cancer-free and is pursuing his passion for painting and creative arts with a new vigour, without any worries weighing him down. I am truly thankful to God for giving him this opportunity to come full circle and live the life he desired.
In this sugar flower arrangement I have used Tube Roses, Clematis, Roses, Plumbagos, Iron Cross Begonias, and Spider Plant; all put together complementing each other, in a harmonious bouquet
2018
Celebration of life!
This is my third consecutive year with this collaboration and I am so glad to be part of it!
My piece represents “celebration of life”. The colours and the sunflowers especially represent a person basking in the rays of joy, of this life God has given us. Everything about this arrangement shouts out happiness and contentment- all that I wish for my father! I hope you can feel the emotions represented as well.
2019
Burning Desire!
This is my fourth consecutive year in this special and meaningful collaboration, which holds a special place in my heart.
My piece symbolises the burning desire in everybody to overcome obstacles and shine through the gloom - to conquer our fears and shine through when darkness engulfs us.
A little about the flower, since many of you might not be familiar with this variety - Flame of the forest (Spathodea Campanulata) is also known as Fountain Tree, African Tulip Tree, Nandi Flame.
This tree is planted extensively as an ornamental tree throughout the tropics and is much appreciated for its very showy reddish-orange or crimson, campanulate flowers. The generic name refers to the spathe-like calyx. The flower bud is ampule-shaped and contains water. Children often play with the buds by squirting water on each other. The sap sometimes stains yellow on fingers and clothes. The open flowers are cup-shaped and hold rain and dew, making them attractive to many species of birds.
These trees are very common where I live, in Bangalore- India – and the whole flower is so big that it fills up both my open palms and spills over! My daughter says that it resembles a crown and the very size and sheer brilliance is so enchanting that you can’t not be mesmerized by its beauty.
It was quite a challenge to make this flower without any cutters or veiners. I really had to pick my brains to try and make it look similar to the real flower. I do hope you like it, at least as much as I enjoyed making it!
2020
Riot of colours!
This is my fifth consecutive year in this special and meaningful collaboration, which holds a special place in my heart.
For this arrangement I have made the following variety of flowers and foliage: Pom pom Dahlias in a variety of colours, two toned dahlia, Alstromeria, Cork tree flower, Petunias, Speedwell Stalks, Poppy seed pods, Snow bush leaves (Breynia Disticha) and Swiss cheese Vine (Monsteria adansonii).
This piece represents how diverse and colourful this life is that God has given us, with all its abundance, beauty and glory.