Floriography: Lauren Jaben, Ysabel LeMay, & Amanda Wood

Floriography: The Language of Flowers
Featuring Lauren Jaben, Ysabel LeMay, & Amanda Wood
Opening Reception: May 9th, 4-7pm
On View: May 9th - June 6th, 2026

Davis Gallery is pleased to present Floriography: The Language of Flowers, a three-woman exhibition featuring the distinct work of Lauren Jaben, Ysabel LeMay, and Amanda Wood. Floriography, the cryptological communication through flowers, was popularized in the Victorian era as a way for a reserved society to express complex, often forbidden, sentiments. This rise led to the widespread use of floral dictionaries, which helped people send and decode secret messages, bypassing strict social etiquette. Echoing these coded bouquets, the exhibition explores how each artist uses botanical themes and forms to convey deeply personal and universal messages.

Lauren Jaben’s current floral series marks a departure from her previous hard-edged geometric work, embracing experimentation. Compelled by the intricate beauty and transience of flowers as a reminder of impermanence, she draws from her decades-long collection of found papers. She uses cut floral forms in varied ways throughout the series—in some works overlapping them with their own silhouettes to achieve an effect she likens to a photographic double exposure. Material and meaning are layered; there is more than initially meets the eye.

Celebrated for her hyper-collage panoramas, Ysabel LeMay remixes the real world and digitally weaves together photographs to create luminous, paradisal tableaux. LeMay’s Calm Series is a visual meditation on softness and presence, rooted in the energy of yin. These lush, levitating botanical forms shrouded in mist evoke a sanctuary shaped by nature’s gentle rhythms detached from time and place. Each piece becomes a breath—a moment to pause, to feel, and to reflect—encouraging a reminder of our interdependence with the natural world.

Amanda Wood's botanical sculptures invite the viewer into a comforting space with their surreal, unfolding natural forms. These oversized florals celebrate feminine strength and resiliency, transforming seemingly delicate elements into powerful, commanding presences that highlight the inherent vulnerability and stunning beauty found in nature. Through her striking floral sculptures, Wood creates emotional touchstones, urging viewers—particularly women—to be bold, take up space, and allow themselves to be fully seen and understood.

Though working in different mediums—collaged found materials, digitally composited hyper-collage, and ceramic sculpture—Jaben, LeMay, and Wood are unified by their exploration of the natural world and its ability to communicate profound ideas. Each artist utilizes botanical imagery and form as a potent means of expression, moving beyond mere representation to convey themes ranging from the exploration of impermanence to the majesty of nature's rhythm and the celebration of inner strength. Collectively, Floriography: The Language of Flowers offers a powerful chorus of voices, proving that, much like the Victorian coded language, the art of flowers can speak volumes.