HOO ART GALLERY
Discover contemporary eco-print painting at Hoo Art Gallery, located in Mount Eliza Village on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula. Since 2019, we have specialised in the distinctive botanical artworks of Dharshi de Silva—innovative paintings that elevate traditional eco-printing to fine art through fifteen years of dedicated garden cultivation.
Each work originates from Dharshi's meticulously designed sanctuary of over 1,000 plants and 30 hand-selected trees. Her pioneering technique captures botanical impressions directly onto canvas, developing them with earth pigments and natural dyes to create contemporary pieces that speak to collectors seeking authentic,
nature-connected art.
We maintain our commitment to sustainable, handcrafted excellence. Every piece in our collection represents the intersection of artistic innovation, environmental consciousness, and the patient wisdom of working with living materials.
Visit us to experience where contemporary botanical art meets gallery excellence.
Dharshi de Silva's eco-print paintings are a contemporary interpretation of a unique and time-honored process. She uses the plants she grows in her garden to create breathtaking artwork, utilising this innovative technique, which holds immense, untapped potential in the fine arts world. Joining other practitioners in a rapidly growing contemporary movement of botanical printers, Dharshi aims to elevate eco-printing to a recognized status within fine art, redefining it beyond its traditional craft reputation.
Her eco-print paintings immortalise the intricate forms of rambling ivy and the delicate beauty of dahlias, capturing their ephemeral qualities with exquisite detail. Dharshi enjoys working with natural fiber cloth and paper, using the eco-printing process to create unique imprints of garden flora directly onto her canvas before it is stretched. Each imprint is one of a kind, serving as a source of inspiration for the creation of a distinctive artwork. Her work draws influences from the pale, delicate drawings and elegant balance found in Japanese screen prints, while also incorporating the bold colours and minimal yet graphic shapes reminiscent of Toulouse-Lautrec posters.
Although Dharshi has been a fine artist for several years, consistently offering meaningful and inspirational works, she believes that her current creations from her eco-printing studio mark a significant breakthrough in her artistic journey. She is focused on expanding her skills in eco-printing and integrating her talents as a painter in oil, watercolour, botanical, and earth pigments.
Dharshi's ultimate desire is to delight viewers and open their hearts to the beauty and lessons that nature, depicted through art, offers. Her works should not be viewed merely as still life, botanical, landscape, or semi-abstract paintings; instead, they can be seen as vanitas paintings. Through her art, Dharshi emphasises the value of beauty and reflects on the idea that all good things must come to an end, prompting contemplation on the cycles of life, death, and rebirth. Often, her paintings feature the text "All is Well," prominently displayed or woven across the canvas, serving as a reminder to nurture hope, embrace the moment regardless of the circumstances, and seek light, love, peace, and joy even amid darkness.