Chess Set
The Garden of Love: a chess set crafted from walnut with floral engravings and stained glass acrylic details. It tells the story of lgbtq+ people through history and symbolism. Each flower has its own underlying meaning and connection to the community. This chess set celebrates diversity and represents marginalized groups.
Carnation (King):
Carnations, specifically green carnations, became a symbol of gay men after men started pinning them on their lapels in the 1890s.
Violets (Queen):
Violets represent the sapphic love between women and roots back to Greek poems from Sappho herself.
Lavender: (Bishop):
Lavender has always been associated with the LGBTQ+ community. From the Lavender Scare to the Lavender Menace, its exact meaning can be argued, but lavender has always symbolized both gay and lesbian love.
Pansies (Knight):
Pansies gained their meaning from the “Pansy Craze” through the 1920s-1930s. The flower became associated with flamboyant gay men.
Roses (Rook):
Roses symbolize many things. Diversity, beauty, passion, romance, and love. This involves all love: straight, gay, and everything in between.
Vine (Pawn):
This plant doesn’t have any historical meaning, but to complete the family of form, I included a vine to represent the beauty of life and love in its simplest form.
