Ignacio canales aracil bus pass

Artist Ignacio Aracil transforms pressed flowers into ephemeral sculptures.

Ignacio Canales Aracil is a Spanish sculptor who makes extraordinary delicate structures from real pressed flowers and plants. The flowers are held together without the use of any glue but once dried, sprayed with a matt varnish to protect them from moisture. His works demonstrate a contemporary interpretation of the ancient tradition of preserving flowers, which dates back to the brightly coloured flowers found in excavated Egyptian tombs.

His sculptures can in theory, stay intact for hundreds of years. As well as working with real flowers Ignacio has also worked with porcelain and more recently, wood. We spoke to him about his unique craft and inspiration. I started painting at an early age and wanted to make it my profession ever since I can remember. Flowers, trees and nature in general has been an endless source of inspiration since the beginning of my career.

But when I was studying in London I became aware of the British tradition of gardening which I started to enjoy. I then felt urged to respond to it through my sculptures. But to develop paper moulds with different sizes and shapes has been a constant challenge.

Aracil hand-picks flowers, flattens them, and then weaves them together over a cone-shaped paper mold.

The gardens that I visit, nature at its wildest, traditional pottery, ancient carvings, romantic ruins, instruments, even the marketing and publicity that surround us. There is no one theme that inspires my work and I can see all the things that interest me and move me, are present in each piece. I made I call you from the deepest first image with the idea of a gong in my mind, one that plays a profound sound like a bell that calls to pray or to war.

It was also the biggest piece I had ever made at that time and I wanted to exhibit it without barriers. The feeling of having such a big piece, so fragile and at the same time so strong, was empowering.