Sixto-Juan Zavala - Chelsea Physic Garden

Intersex-inclusive Progress Pride Flag collage

For LGBTQ+ History Month, Chelsea Physic Garden celebrates diversity in people and plants. Historically, the LGBTQ+ community has been referred to as ‘unnatural’, however, the ‘natural’ world has many characteristics that do not fit societal norms and binaries. For example, trees are known to change sex throughout their lives, and non-human animals have been recorded partnering up into same-sex couples. There are also cultural links between the LGBTQ+ community and the symbolism of flowering plants, which can be found in slurs like ‘pansy’, or ‘a streak of lavender’. The exhibition shares stories about fascinating plants and animals in the Garden. They challenge us to think about what we consider to be unnatural. We are all part of nature and so nature is invariably Queer.

Zavala designed the original identity for the A Dash of Lavender exhibition and programming in 2022 and was tasked with extending the identity with a revised logo, new botanical pride flag collage, and new map design for the trail highlighting select plants. The flag is based on the Intersex-inclusive Progressive Pride Flag (designed by Valentino Vecchietti), which combines the traditional rainbow flag with additional colours and symbols to highlight underrepresented groups in the LGBTQ+ community. The original flag design has been combined with artwork of plants growing in the Garden that have connections to the LGBTQ+ community. The botanical illustrations in the flag collage have been sourced from paintings by Chelsea Physic Garden's Florilegium Society collection. Plants were researched, selected, scaled, meticulously cut out digitally, and applied to the flag design.

The exhibition's colour palette and typography is based on Chelsea Physic Garden's existing identity and adds a violet to help signify a unique strand of programming in A Dash of Lavender. Violet, references the ancient Greek Lesbian poet, Sappho, who frequently alluded to violets in her writing. When tinted the violet is applied as lavender—which was used in slang, such as 'lavender lad', referencing queerness. The A Dash of Lavender logo is based on the shield and crest of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries found on the Embankment Gate at Chelsea Physic Garden. The shield and crest depict Apollo, ancient Greek god of medicine, who has loved both men and women. In ancient times medicine was primarily derived from plants. The shield symbol is relevant because the priority of the exhibition and programme is to create a safe space for LGBTQ+ community. The A Dash of Lavender logo references Apollo in the face of the sun and replaces his bow and arrow with healing lavender flowers.