About parthenopi
parthenopi is an emerging artist that has trained and worked as a florist for over a decade and specialises in creating large sculptural floral installations for special events. She relishes in experimenting with bold and clashing colours and injecting a sense of humour into her work to make audiences smile. parthenopi has applied her floristry training to her art practice, bringing everyday household rubbish to life. She has been inspired by our unique Australian native flora and its plight against plastic pollution.
2022 SWELL ARTWORK – cookie, parthenopi – Currumbin featured work
parthenopi’s upcycled sculpture ‘cookie’ is inspired by Queensland’s floral emblem, the Cooktown Orchid. As a florist, she is captivated by Australian native orchids. Here she juxtaposes their beauty with the ugliness of plastic waste to make viewers question what they are doing to help protect this vulnerable state emblem and ask themselves; “is this my rubbish on the beach?”
ARTWORK – pigface, parthenopi – located in Wallace Nicoll Park
In loving memory of Christelle Scheepers.
parthenopi has collected and arranged everyday household rubbish to imitate the Australian native pigface flower that can often be found weaving itself along the sandy coastline in pops of hot pink. She is passionate about eliminating single-use plastics and wanted to bring this to the forefront while still making festival goers smile. At first, greeted by these bright and cheery flowers, the audience might stop and ask themselves; “how much plastic have I used lately and where has it ended up?”
ARTWORK – sugarbag, parthenopi – located in Wallace Nicoll Park
parthenopi has collected and arranged discarded materials to reimagine the spiral nest architecture of Australia’s native stingless sugarbag bees, the only known species to build their hexagonal honeycombs in a distinctive spiral pattern.
Instagram: @parthenopium
Come and see for yourself at SWELL Sculpture Festival, Pacific Parade, Currumbin 9-18 September.’