About

Biologist-designer Dr Susy Paisley hosts workshops and an evening talk exploring the ‘tree of life’ — perhaps the world’s most iconic textile motif.

The tree of life motif stands with reassuring centrality in the world of textile design, its limbs branching widely through different times and cultures. Because our planet would be uninhabitable without plants, summing up the meaning of this symbol is impossible to do — but it centres around regeneration, life force and the kinship amongst all beings. From Norse, Buddhist and Mayan mythology to the Bible; from Indian palampores to Persian carpets, the tree is the great connector.

Equally, the drawing of scientific trees of life can be traced for at least 450 years, helping to conceptualise the relatedness of all species. Linnaeus and Darwin, and even now the genetic sequencers, all use this arboriform imagery.

In terms of textile design, what exactly is the tree of life textile motif? Generally either one central tree is depicted, or, alternatively, the branches can form one continuous repeating pattern. Usually the branching limbs are densely but evenly arrayed with leaves and, frequently, flowers, fruits and creatures. Often these latter elements are more variable than could logically arise from the same tree, suggesting the mystical connection between lifeforms.

Conservation biologist/designer Dr Susy Paisley creates nature-centric textile and wallpaper designs for her company, Newton Paisley, frequently following in the fertile tree of life tradition.

Join Susy for a workshop held in the splendid library of The Linnean Society of London to create your own flowing, seamlessly repeating, tree of life motif. Participants work surrounded by Lovely as a Tree: an exhibition on the culture of trees explored through their extraordinary collections.

Materials from the exhibition serve as inspiration for your designs. Use old-fashioned compositional techniques involving only paper, pen, ink and tape, as used by masters of the craft like Anna Maria Garthwaite, William Morris and Josef Frank.

Delve deeper (climb higher..) into the iconography of the tree of life, biophilic design and the celebration of nature in the home, in an evening talk with Susy in the Society’s Meeting Rooms. This is followed by a wine reception in the Library.