Professor Andrew Parker’s art and science exhibition on display at Kew Gardens
A unique art and science exhibition created by Visiting Senior Research Fellow Professor Andrew Parker is on display at Kew Gardens in London.
The exhibition is called Naturally Brilliant Colour and it features a cutting-edge piece of technology called Pure Structural Colour, a new type of colour billed as the ‘boldest, brightest colour on Earth.’
Parker worked with scientific researchers at his Lifescaped lab to develop these stunning, jewel-like shades of colour, inspired by the dazzling colours we see in nature such as on the wings of a butterfly or hummingbird.
Plants and animals have microscopic structures in their surface layers which reflect sunlight in unique ways to create these vivid, unforgettable shades. Parker and Lifescaped have recreated these colours for the first time. Pure Structural Colour is an example of what’s known as bio inspiration – replicating structures found in nature for the benefit of human design.
‘Scientists have sought to reproduce the brightest, metallic-like colours of nature for decades,’ said Parker. ‘In Pure Structural Colour, this has been achieved on a large scale for the first time. It is something special to witness these colours as they emerge from our machines – the brightest colours ever seen. They will be revealed to the public for the very first time at this exhibition, in the form of artworks with a complementary natural theme.’
The exhibition explores what Pure Structural Colour is and delves into the history of colour perception and vision, while also displaying artworks created using Pure Structural Colour including the world’s first botanical artwork by Coral G Guest, who mixed flakes of Pure Structural Colour into paint.
Other items on display include a large-scale kaleidoscope containing glass created with Pure Structural Colour and accessories such as Nike Air Jordan 3 RTNA, to show how Pure Structural Colour could be used in fashion.
The colour is produced using only transparent materials which could have a huge impact on sustainability if it could replace pigments, many of which are sourced unethically or unsustainably.
Naturally Brilliant Colour runs at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at Kew Gardens until 26 September 2021.
Further information on the Naturally Brilliant Colour exhibition.
Yesterday our alumni celebrated the 2026 Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong alongside @st_annescollege alumni at the two societies’ first co-organised event.
The group gathered at a Michelin-starred restaurant to mark the joyful occasion, make new connections and enjoy exquisite traditional food together.
It is wonderful to see the two college alumni societies bringing the wider Oxford community together for what Nathaniel Chan (MBA, 2016), co-chair of the Green Templeton College Hong Kong Alumni Society, described as ‘a memorable occasion’.
Plans are already taking shape for a hike and karaoke event in November, following an ‘impressive impromptu a cappella performance by one alumnus’ at the lunch.
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Here’s some advice from our freshest crop of graduates to our incoming new students 🧑🎓👩🎓👨🎓
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#oxforduniversity
#studentadvice
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🌌 Last weekend, Green Templeton welcomed Nobel Prize-winning astronomer Professor Brian Schmidt for the latest event in our Astronomy for All series.
Professor Schmidt took a packed audience on a journey through more than 13 billion years of cosmic history, from the Big Bang to the distant future of the Universe. He explored what we know about the cosmos, how we know it and some of the biggest mysteries that remain.
The lecture was chaired by Governing Body Fellow Rob Fender, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford, and continued our celebration of Green Templeton’s connections with Oxford Astrophysics.
Our Oceania Alumni Group is on a roll after successful events in Sydney, Brisbane and last night in Perth.
We`re very thankful to the group`s committee for their energy, commitment and hard work in bringing the community together. It’s wonderful to see connections being strengthened, engagement growing, and the alumni community going from strength to strength.
Exciting times ahead!
If you would like to join a local alumni group, let us know!
Our EMBA and MBA alumni joined us on Friday for our last outdoor afternoon tea of the year.
Alumni from across the globe reunited with old friends, made new connections, and shared their career journeys since Oxford.
Our host, Vice Principal Professor Jonathan Reynolds, welcomed the group and shared the latest developments at Green Templeton College. Most importantly, he reminded them that here, they will always belong.
We can`t wait to welcome more of our community this week for Meeting Minds. We still have a few spaces for alumni wanting to join our college-based events (link in the comments).
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