Entering under an orb exquisitely crafted of branches, Inspired by Nature is a testament to the benefits humans can have when working with nature, as opposed to wreaking havoc upon it. Filled to the rafters with elegant, powerful, intricate and delicate works, this exhibition is sure to leave any viewer enamoured by the myriad talents humankind possesses and the charming trinkets we can produce, with an inspirational helping hand from the world around us. Animals to plants, mythology to science, the world in which we live shapes not only us, but the items we shape ourselves for anthropogenic benefit.
The subjects of Inspired by Nature can, in the words of its curators, “be abstracted into the simplest of shapes, or portrayed in scientific detail”, and the symbiosis of these placed side by side is a metaphor for how all of our individual differences can be ameliorated together in wonder at the beauty of what can be created. A small but airy hall, this exhibit brings together people in the manner the, at first glance, unrelated items also find themselves, in a clear statement of the wonder nature continues to impart on many a traveller.
A stunning case of ivory netsuke figures, mere meters into the hall showcase this elegantly, with animals, mythical creatures and deities sitting side-by-side, and showcased further with Naga Raksha, snake demon mask and seven-headed cobra sculptures bringing together the real and the imagined for an exhibit that transcends time, space, and indeed reality, in a talent show of humankind and attributed to the nature that has, and continues, to inspire individuals, groups, tribes and entire cultures across the globe. Even explorations of the apparently mundane, such as the wings of beetles or toucan feathers are crafted into armlets, rhino horns from the Chinese Qing dynasty carved into dioramas, and a goose transformed into Katy Galbraith’s mosaic depiction bringing the living with the static and creating a fresh dynamism that is characteristic of the wonders of nature.
Inspired by Nature is inspired, natural and unnatural alike, and imparts such a significant effect onto all who grace its hall in the Scottish capital. Artefacts from across the globe bring all corners of the animal and spiritual realms under one collection to inspire the humans whom view the inspiration others of their kind have felt. As diverse and wondrous as the world we inhabit, this exhibition is a celebration of the life of this world and the achievements and artistry we derive so much of our own from.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Inspired by Nature is a continuing display in Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland
