In the last week of February 2025, Lajla Dizdar, intern at Olivier Cornet Gallery, wrote about Yanny Petters's verre églomisé paintings Dunes, Sea Bindweed and Dunes, Sea Holly. These paintings on glass are on view and available for sale at the gallery (2,100 euro each).  

I did not have to think twice about which artist’s work appealed to me the most. The unique technique used by the Irish botanical artist Yanny Petters has impressed me instantly. The second we hung up the artworks for her solo exhibition, I was intrigued by “Dunes, Sea Bindweed” and “Dunes. Sea Holly”. Their deep black backgrounds create a striking contrast, making them stand out amongst the other pieces. 

Dunes, Sea Bindweed and Sea Holly were part of the solo exhibition Fieldwork with Mainie and Albrecht – Twelve Irish habitats in homage to the artists who have inspired me by Yanny Petters, which took place from 6 October – 10 November 2024. This exhibition was part of Dublin Gallery Weekend 2024. Additionally, the two pieces are part of the current group show Contrasts which features the gallery artists' best works from 2024. 

With her solo show, Yanny Petters explored and combined two different themes: wild Irish habitats and the artists whom she had admired since childhood. The exhibition focused on the beautiful Irish habitats that surround us and we tend to completely ignore. 

Petters, working solely from life, has used the rare technique ‘Verre Eglomisé’ on all the artworks. The technique, also called 'back painting on glass' or 'reverse painting on glass', was first named in Germany in 1684. It involves painting on the back of glass, meaning all the details and highlights must be painted first. The artist must always have an exact plan. Yanny Petters came across this technique when she was working as a sign writer in the 1980s and has been using it since the 1990s. 

Knowing how much planning goes into a single painting, and then seeing all the little details in Dunes, Sea Bindweed and Sea Holly has absolutely impressed me. The black background colour, which is inspired by Mary Delaney’s paper mosaic flower pieces, makes the two plants and its colours stand out and look vibrant. Sea Bindweed’s composition, with its twisting vines, gives the plant an organic, flowing rhythm, mimicking the plant’s nature of sprawling around the ground and intertwining with other plants. The twining stems guide the viewer’s eye smoothly from one element to the other.

Additionally, the different green and pink colours are almost glowing against the dark background, making the plant feel alive. Sea Holly’s composition on the other hand is more vertical and structured. The stems and leaves rise upward and outward in a very strong even architectural kind of way. The spikes are very sharp, and the plant takes up the whole painting. It emphasizes the characteristics of a Sea Holly, which thrives in harsh conditions such as bad soil quality, strong winds and high salt levels.

Both paintings have deepened my appreciation of the environment and its beauty that exists in my everyday life, even on my way to the gallery. 

As Petters herself explains: 

“My work is inspired by the minutiae of nature. I explore the detail, colour and form within the realm of plants and their environment. My wish is to share with the viewer my fascination with the beautiful and bizarre in a world which we all too easily take for granted.” 

Lajla Dizdar, February 2025