A Garden of Reflection
Solenn Heussaff embraces abstraction in The Unseen Garden.
Words Art+ Magazine Team
Photos courtesy of Gabriel Nivera
July 14, 2026
Detail of Distant Memory
Two years after Vīta, her duo exhibition with fellow French-Filipina artist Olivia d'Aboville, Solenn Heussaff returns to the canvas with The Unseen Garden, a new body of abstract works that was on view at Provenance Art Gallery in Rockwell from July 2 to 13.
The Unseen Garden marks a new direction in Solenn’s practice. Best known for her figurative works, she turns to abstraction through botanical forms inspired by nature and the peaceful moments she spends in her own garden.
Artist Solenn Heussaff
“Every morning, I just sit and watch the birds, watch the leaves, see how they grow,” Solenn shares. “I can tell if there’s a new leaf or not.” That daily observation became the starting point for a series inspired by flora and fauna, evoking transformation and renewal through layered foliage, flowers, and richly textured surfaces.
Rather than depicting a specific place, the paintings create an emotional landscape that reflects growth and hope for the future. Some works are intimate studies of plants and flowers, while others expand into larger, immersive compositions that invite contemplation.
As Solenn says, “You really only grow when you’re uncomfortable or when there’s change in your life. It’s about going into the unknown and rediscovering yourself and your limits.”
While the works center on personal growth, they also speak to Solenn’s ongoing interest in the environment and the responsibility of caring for the natural world.
Chromatic Ridge
“I hope people leave feeling like they’ve slowed down, even just for a moment. We live in a world where we’re constantly moving and consuming, and I wanted this exhibition to be a reminder that there’s so much beauty we miss when we don’t take the time to really look. The Unseen Garden is about those quiet things that often go unnoticed in nature, in our memories, and in ourselves. If someone walks away feeling a little more curious, a little more connected, or simply inspired to pay closer attention to the world around them, then I feel the work has done what it was meant to do,” Solenn adds.
The Unseen Garden ran from July 2 to July 13 at Provenance Art Gallery, South Wing, R2 Level, Rockwell Drive, Makati City.
