Born in Solihull in 1951, Rob Kesseler is a professor at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design in London. He has a long career of working with plants as a source of inspiration for his work. From 2001-2004 he was a NESTA Fellow for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew where he began working with microscopic plant material in collaboration with Wolfgang Stuppy, seed morphologist at the Millennium Seed Bank Project. His work has been shown in museums and galleries in the UK and Europe.

Kesseler’s representations of the natural world were initially inspired by medieval stylistic illustrations and Dutch flower paintings. From the decorative arts and ceramics through to today’s expanding use of technology, in its intricate detail, his work references and acknowledges the past, to understand more about the tiniest elements of life - seeds and pollen. He lives and works in London.

Glossary

  • Ceramics

    Clay based products produced from non-metallic material and fired at high temperature. The term covers all objects made of fired clay, including earthenware, porcelain, stoneware and terra cotta.

  • Design

    The arrangement of elements or details in an artefact or a work of art.