Rui Jiang

China

Born 1981

Rui Jiang is a UK-based botanical artist whose practice bridges scientific observation and artistic expression. Originally trained in New Media Design in China, she moved to the UK in 2004 to pursue postgraduate studies in Graphic Design at the University for the Creative Arts in Maidstone, Kent. It was during this time that her passion for botanical art first took root.

After several years working as a freelance graphic designer in London, Rui transitioned fully into botanical illustration, drawn by the precision, beauty, and storytelling potential of plants. From 2016 to 2017, she studied at the Chelsea School of Botanical Art, where she completed the Diploma in Botanical Illustration and graduated with distinction for her final project.

Rui is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and the Society of Botanical Artists, and a member of the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society, the Association of Botanical Artists, the National Trust Munstead Wood Florilegium, and Amicus Botanicus. Her work has been exhibited widely, including at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Botanical Art and Photography Show, where she was awarded Silver-Gilt Medals in both 2022 and 2023. Her paintings have been acquired by the RHS Lindley Library and are also held in the Shirley Sherwood Collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Her artistic focus includes detailed botanical studies, particularly of English roses—of which she cultivates more than 80 varieties in her own garden. Rui’s work reflects a deep respect for plant form, heritage horticulture, and the emotional resonance of botanical subjects.