Talks and Art Exhibition: Botanical Reverie
A solo exhibition by Inês Hermione Mulford
Location: Custom House Gallery, Edinburgh (access from Customs Wharf)
Dates: 22 – 31 May 2026
Opening Hours:
22nd May: 12:00 – 20:00
Weekdays: 11:00 – 19:00
Weekends: 10:00 – 18:00
As part of the opening weekend two leading scientists from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh will present public talks exploring overlooked and extraordinary aspects of the plant world:
Dr Neil Bell, bryologist, will speak on mosses, liverworts and hornworts — revealing their surprising diversity and global significance.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/being-phytodivergent-with-dr-neil-bell-tickets-1985912887907?aff=oddtdtcreator
Dr Becky Yahr, Lichen Biodiversity Scientist, will share insights into the fascinating world of lichens and their vital ecological roles.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/discover-the-world-of-lichens-with-dr-becky-yahr-tickets-1985926695205?aff=oddtdtcreator
Details of the exhibition: Botanical Reverie is a new solo exhibition by artist Inês Hermione Mulford, bringing together intricate botanical works alongside anthropological explorations of our relationship with the more-than-human world.
Supported by a grant from the Society of Botanical Artists, with whom Mulford has previously received both the Making a Mark Award for drawing and the Excellence in Oils Award, the exhibition reflects a practice that sits between scientific observation, artistic interpretation, and human experience.
Mulford’s work moves beyond traditional botanical illustration, combining detailed studies of plant life with a wider enquiry into how we see, understand, and situate ourselves within the natural world. Drawing on her academic background — an MSc in Social Anthropology from the University of Edinburgh and a BA in Painting from Edinburgh College of Art — the exhibition explores the cultural, emotional, and ecological relationships between people and place.
Her works are held in the Edinburgh Collection, and her practice has been shaped through a number of socially engaged and site-responsive residencies, including Artist Residencies with hospitals, the Surgeons’ Hall Museums Edinburgh, the Hugo Burge Foundation, and Dundee Botanic Garden.