The Phoenicia Malta is currently alive with spring colour and vibrant bouquets in series of 30 paintings that look so fresh you can almost smell them. We catch up with artist Vania Goshe to find out more about her new exhibition, Floriography which is a riot of exuberant colour from peaches and gentle citrus hues to the hot flamingo pinks of the show-stopping Purity, Romance and Deep Passion.
How did you first become interested in the language of flowers?
I discovered Floriography, the language of flowers, in 2019 while reading an article, and the topic immediately captivated me. I later conducted more in-depth research and realised that it would be the perfect title for this collection. I had previously painted flowers purely for their aesthetic beauty and their connection to nature, but this time, I wanted to focus solely on their symbolic meanings, conveying emotions and messages through my work. Bluebells for example symbolise everlasting love; peonies a happy life whilst delphiniums are associated with protection and good luck.
I’ve also been influenced by historical references, such as Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, which he painted to decorate the home of his friend Paul Gauguin. Van Gogh associated sunflowers with loyalty and devotion, symbolizing warmth and friendship. Another fascinating story is the 17th-century Tulip Mania in the Netherlands, when tulips became so valuable that they were traded like gold, with some bulbs worth more than a house. This period marked one of the world’s first economic bubbles.
‘Red tulips convey a declaration of love, while yellow tulips evoke the idea of “sunshine in your smile.’
I include some tropical blooms, such as in my painting Tropical Reverie but most of the flowers I paint are common in Europe, although I have not seen tulips growing in Malta, nor have I come across cherry blossoms here. Likewise, because of the different weather conditions I have never seen the Bird of Paradise flowers that you find in Malta (and which symbolize joy, freedom, and success) in my home country of Bulgaria.
Red roses symbolize passionate love; yellow roses signifies joy, happiness, and friendship; orange represents desire. And although I love roses and daisies, my absolute favorite is lilac. I was born in spring when lilac bushes bloom, filling the air with their fresh and enchanting fragrance. As a child, my birthday celebrations were always filled with lilac bouquets, which remain a cherished memory for me.
How long have you been working on this floral series?
I began painting this collection in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic when I was striving to surround myself with beauty in such uncertain times. However, I refrained from exhibiting the works at the time because they felt too personal, although they remained very much on my mind. I was also searching for the right venue to showcase the collection, and when Prof. Charlene Vella invited me to exhibit at The Phoenicia Malta, I immediately knew that it would be the perfect setting. In preparation for the show, I resumed painting flowers throughout 2024 and 2025. I am constantly looking for the right composition: I work with professionally arranged floral compositions and I also use high-quality photographs as my reference material.
You have been widely recognized for your landscapes in recent years. What inspired this shift towards florals?
I have been painting flowers for the past 15 years, alongside my landscape work. However, I previously worked in oils, using a palette knife and impasto techniques to create richly textured surfaces. This collection, by contrast, is executed entirely in acrylic while I continue to explore texture and expressive brushstrokes, and dynamic compositions.
Floriography includes 30 paintings of varying scales, from small works displayed as a collage to a large-scale piece measuring 180 cm in width. Vania hopes her paintings, with their vibrant colours, will evoke emotions such as joy, serenity, love, and happiness in the visitors to the exhibition. The exhibition runs until March 31.
Interested to know more about the tulip obsession in 1634-1637, the first recorded speculative or asset bubble when some single tulip bulbs sold for more than 10 times the annual income of a skilled artisan? Then we recommend Tulip Mania by Deborah Moggach in which an artist falls for a young married woman while he’s commissioned to paint her portrait in seventeenth century Amsterdam or opt for the 2017 film adaptation 2017 starring Alicia Vikander and Judi Dench (directed by Justin Chadwick).