Artwork information

Throughout Teuane Tibbo’s practice, she often painted still-life compositions featuring vibrant floral arrangements. While some were based on direct observation and inspired by flowers from her garden, other artworks reflected Tibbo’s love of beauty and her belief that an artwork was not complete until it was adorned with them.

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In Flower Jungle, Tibbo combines her love of flowers with her intuitive approach to colour. Set against an acidic turquoise background – a tone that appears in other works such as Black Vase III – the floral forms are arranged in tight rows. Yellow daffodil-like and white floral forms appear in the foreground, gradually loosening toward yellow tree-like forms with red blossoms, perhaps referencing pōhutukawa, a recurring motif in her practice or bottlebrush. Interestingly, while Tibbo often placed her signature directly over the subject matter, here she holds it back, setting it just outside the scene.