Sarah Illenberger explores horticulture with her exotic new series Wonderplants

Embracing the botanical brilliance of nature’s offerings is Sarah Illenberger and her new series Wonderplants. Created on a six-week trip to Portugal, the artist stayed in a big, beautiful house with fellow creative and friend Lisa Cepeda. “I wanted to use only the resources that were available, so just the plants, and stickers and tape which I found in local stationery and DIY stores,” Sarah explains. 

Bright shades of lemon and lavender clash beautifully with earthier tones of orange and beige. But it’s the constant green lusciousness from the leaves that ties the series together and acts as the perfect canvas for Sarah’s mix of lines and shapes. “Over time I gathered more leaves from the Botanical Gardens in Porto and Lisbon and applied geometric shapes. They were inspired by Portuguese tiles and african fabrics,” Sarah says. The combination of these visual references forms a series that feels both graphic and tribal, like a collection of decorative shields.