Hot on the heels of the Chelsea Flower Show, South Africa just achieved another prestigious botanical award. Not only has young botanical artist and first-time exhibitor Daleen Roodt (age 37) received an RHS Gold Medal, she was also awarded Best Artwork on Show for her exceptionally large orchid painting at the RHS Botanical Art Show in London. Daleen is only the second South African artist to have received the Best Botanical Artwork award, since Margaret de Villiers in April 2013, and amongst only a handful of previous South African gold medallists. Three weeks into the show, she also won the People’s Choice Award.
The show, held at the Saatchi Gallery in London, is the most prestigious exhibition of botanical art in the world. All artists must exhibit six top class artworks on a theme and the artwork is judged by an expert panel of 7 professionals. As the only South African artist, Daleen’s exhibit of indigenous orchids and pollinators was hung with artwork by world-class artists from Australia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Portugal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, USA and the UK.