John Meade and Emily Karanikolopoulos

Created by John Meade for the Southern Way McClelland Commission, Love flower is inspired by the practice of Ikebana, the ancient Japanese art of flower arrangement which endeavours to bring beauty, peace and calmness to a space within the chaos of life. In 2016, Meade – whose interest in floral art dates back to the 1980s – came across the work of Emily Karanikolopoulos, a teacher and practitioner of Sogetsu Ikebana, and the development of Love flower began.

The title is based on the Ancient Greek etymology of the agapanthus flower, derived from agap meaning ‘God’s love’ and anthos meaning ‘flower’. Meade and Karanikolopoulos celebrate the uniquely formed agapanthus, a ubiquitous roadside plant in the Mornington Peninsula.

Previously, Karanikolopoulos had grown and manipulated agapanthus and arranged the dried flowers into various sculptural forms in her Ikebana practice. Love flower is an evolution of these sculptural forms, realised on a monumental scale. A gesture of goodwill as a gift of flowers to the people of Frankston, the work also generates discussion on the nature of aesthetics and our appreciation of nature.

Artist John Meade speaks on the creative process behind his sculpture Love Flower with Emily Karanikolopoulous, 2019.

This video created by RMIT students give an insight into John Mead's thoughts and feelings when creating his art.