Moni
Moni – known as Ita Lillywhite – is a paper flower artist based in Leeds.
She lost her mum in 2008.
“I love mixing colours, textures and petals into one flower. I create the flowers I see in my head instead of copying directly from nature.
I’d describe my style as botanical surrealism.
I make flowers under the name Ita Lillywhite. Ita was my great grandmother, and Lillywhite is my husband’s surname, so the name represents a long line of women artists as well as the family we’ve created in the UK.
I’m originally from Colombia, and my family was full of artistic women.
My grandmother had a little studio in her house, and when I’d go to see her she’d always be making her paper flowers. I’d watch her cutting and folding and listen to her tell stories.
As a young woman, she travelled to Europe and saw a window display in Paris decorated with thousands of beautiful paper flowers. She was absolutely obsessed by them.
From then, every present she gave me, there was always a little paper flower attached to it. I wish I still had that first one.
I love giving flowers, and the unspoken words that go with them – it’s a kind of showing vulnerability, in a very subtle way.
When I was 13 or 14, she showed me how to make one – it was a little rose – and she swore me to secrecy, like it was a really important thing. I filed it in the back of my head.
It wasn’t until I had my son in 2014 that it came back to me. I was in that sort of tunnel, like “Who am I?” So many hormones.
Something I hadn’t expected about having a baby was that it would bring back my grief for my mum. She was diagnosed with bone cancer when I was studying for a Master’s, and I went back home to look after her when I graduated.
She refused treatment and was given seven or eight months to live.
When she died, I moved from Colombia to the UK.
After I had my son, I decided I was going to do something creative every day for 100 days – like a creative challenge. And so I made a paper flower every day for 100 days.
Sometimes it took 10 minutes and sometimes it took an hour. It was a little bit of time for myself and I could feel myself falling in love with it again.
By then, my grandmother wasn’t around anymore, or my aunties, or my mum.
It felt like a way of being close to them. The flowers created a connection to my family, and a part of myself that I needed.
“The flowers created a connection to my family, and a part of myself that I needed.”
I spent a long time finding my unique aesthetic. I had a lot of fun doing it. I didn’t want my flowers to look like anyone else’s.
What I love about making them is that it’s time and space just for me. I don’t need to think too much. I can put on an audiobook or have the TV on in the background. It’s very meditative.
They bring me so much joy to look at. And they’re a connection to Colombia, too. There are no seasons on the equator. It’s always warm, and there are so many amazing colourful plants and flowers.
A paper flower can last for years, and I want to create little treasures that will last – like memories.”
Moni makes flowers under the name Ita Lillywhite.
You can see more of her creations on instagram @italillywhite
Her flowers are available here or by emailing italillywhite@gmail.com
Written by Laura McDonagh