Birds of Paradise by Shaveen Kateleen in Brisbane

The Strelitzia, colloquially known as the ‘Birds of Paradise’ flower is a distinctive and unique species of perennial plant, originally native to South Africa but now found widely across Australia. The plant is commonly referred to as ‘Birds of Paradise’ due to the resemblance of its flowers to the Bird of Paradise bird species which originate from Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and select parts of Eastern Australia. The male birds are best known for their colourful plumage of orange feathers extending from its body. My artwork features one of these birds perching atop of a flower of the birds of paradise plant. I think that the similar looking flora and fauna create an in interesting visual design when placed together as their likeness is commonly referred to but is rarely seen together within a natural context. The artwork aims to educate the viewer about the introduced species and its name origins, and on a deeper level references the multicultural background of Australia as a whole.