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Esmée Winkel is an artist who, inspired by plants, aims to paint a message of hope and resilience. Having moments of beauty and serenity is essential for our well-being, now more than ever. Winkel has found that plants not only bring us beauty but also show a resilience and a vigour for life that is truly inspiring. By capturing their splendour and their stories of resilience in her paintings she offers a unique way of bringing beauty and hope into our lives. These botanical paintings aim to help reflect on our own journeys, remind us to cherish each moment and find hope in the resilience of plants.

About Esmée Winkel:

Growing up on the Caribbean island Curaçao, Winkel developed a vast interest in nature. She moved to the Netherlands to study Biology at the Leiden University. After having received her BSc degree she studied at the Maastricht Academy of Fine Arts and Design and Maastricht University, taking a course in Master Scientific Illustration. She had been working part time as a botanical artist for Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the Dutch research institute and Natural history museum in Leiden, until 2026. You will find her drawing unique plants at the Hortus botanicus Leiden as well as out in the field.

Awards:

2021	Margaret Flockton Award, First Prize
2018	Gold Medal, Royal Horticultural Society, London
2017	Margaret Flockton Award, Second Prize
2016	ASBA Botanical Illustrator Award for Excellence in Scientific Botanical Art
2016	Honourable mention, Hermine van Bers Beeldende Kunstprijs
2016	Gold Medal, Royal Horticultural Society, London
2014	Jill Smythies Award, The Linnean Society of London
2013	Gold Medal, Royal Horticultural Society, London
2012	Gold Medal, Biscot, Edinburgh, Scotland
2012	Jury award, ‘Focus on Nature’, New York State Museum, USA

Public collections:

Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library, UK.
Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, US.
New York State Museum, US.
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the Netherlands.
Hortus botanicus Leiden, the Netherlands.