When?
– Launch: 25th June 2026 / 6–8pm / RSVP
– Exhibition runs: 26th June – 31st August 2026
Where
– Open Eye Gallery Liverpool
The Exhibition
We are delighted to announce that Yan Wang Preston’s The Perfect Flower will be exhibited as part of Open Eye Gallery’s 2026 LOOK Photo Biennial. The Perfect Flower is part of our OFFSHOOT programme.
Spanning a range of mediums including photography, projection and film, The Perfect Flower charts the development of hydrangeas in the UK. Starting from a reproduction of the oldest hydrangea specimen in Britain the project explores what a perfect flower is and the journey to get it. Developed through close observation of the RHS Hydrangea paniculata trials, the work reflects on how flowers are classified, valued and perfected. The work also reflects on the cultural and historical implications embedded in horticulture, including colonial histories that shaped the introduction and commercialisation of plants.
“What is a perfect flower? How do we go about getting them? Why such an impulse?” – Yan Wang Preston.
The Perfect Flower is part of The OFFSHOOT Artist in Residence programme, which is a collaboration between University of Salford Art Collection, RHS Garden Bridgewater and Open Eye Gallery, generously supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
The Perfect Flower will be exhibited alongside Is This A Garden? curated by Gary Bratchford and Stuart Whipps, which explores gardens as a backdrop to everyday life.
Journey from the Wild. From The Perfect Flower series, 2025.