Hidden Stories – The Secret Language of Still Life & Floriography

Culture Lab LIC | The Plaxall Gallery, 5-25 46th Ave, 11101, New York City

August 13, 2026 – September 27, 2026

Join us at Culture Lab LIC for Hidden Stories: The Secret Language of Still Life & Floriography, an exhibition curated by Tess Howsam. Still lifes in today's art scene are often associated with the pedagogical. For many artists, it is one of the first modes through which they learn to see and translate the world around them. Yet to frame still life solely as an introductory practice is to overlook the depth and complexity embedded within its history. This exhibition situates contemporary still life within its historical lineage, while expanding its language through the parallel framework of floriography—the coded symbolism of flowers. Historically also used to communicate what could not be spoken openly, floriography offers a subtle yet potent vocabulary of emotion, resistance, and intention. When placed in dialogue with still life, these two traditions reveal a shared capacity for concealment and disclosure.