This marks the first time Indonesia has been represented at the coveted botanical art show.

Eunike also received the special Best Botanical Artwork award for her painting, “Hoya latifolia G.Don / Bold under (Sun)Stress”.

“I couldn’t believe it since I’d never been included in this exhibition before, Eunike told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. “But I was very happy and grateful.”

The RHS was established in 1804 and is the largest gardening charity in the UK. It honors people in and outside of the UK who champion horticulture environmentally or through science, art and other studies.

The late Queen Elizabeth II was the society’s patron starting with her accession to the throne in 1952, following the steps of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

“I’m also glad to be able to bring Indonesia’s name to the international stage,” Eunike said.

Known for its tough selection process, the RHS art show includes seven experts who judge the artworks and photographs according to scientific accuracy, technical prowess and aesthetics to hand out the gold, silver-gilt, silver and bronze medals.

At the exhibition, which lasts until July 9, Eunike is exhibiting a series of six paintings titled “Hoyas of Indonesia” with 21 other artists and one art group from Australia, Canada, Greece, Japan, Norway, South Korea and the UK.

She is one of eight exhibitors who received the gold medal for their exhibition.

Hoya is a genus of over 500 species of tropical plants in the Apocynaceae family, which are native to several countries in Asia, including Indonesia. Indonesia is estimated to have 130 species of the plant, according to Eunike’s research.

“Many Indonesians do not know about Hoya yet compared to plants like orchids,” Eunike shared about her choice. “So I want to show how unique they are.”

The six Hoyas that Eunike is exhibiting are native to Indonesia, ranging from Sulawesi (Hoya imbricata) to Borneo (Hoya spartioides). The piece that won her the Best Botanical Artwork award is the watercolor painting of Hoya latifolia from West Java.

Titled “Bold under (Sun)Stress”, Eunike showed the plant’s beauty under excessive sunlight, which transforms its color from green, yellow, pink, to finally dark red.

“I fell in love with Hoya because of the leaves, which have a wide variation of size and color. You have one that’s twice the size of your palms while another is only the size of a pinky finger,” Eunike explained.

“Its smell also varies. There’s one that smells like lemongrass, chocolate, cinnamon or even coconut biscuit,” she added.

The artist is a renowned name in the country’s botanical art scene. She founded the Indonesian Society of Botanical Artists (IDSBA) in 2017, which aims to develop botanical art in the country and introduce the diversity of Indonesian flora.

The IDSBA has around 170 members made up of artists, illustrators, botanists, researchers and students from domestic and international backgrounds.

“This historic show has become an annual highlight at Saatchi Gallery – the artist’s extraordinary technical skill, meticulous processes and wide international diversity continues to inspire and delight our visitors,” the gallery’s director Paul Foster said in a statement.

Eunike’s participation in the show is supported by the Indonesiana Fund from the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry. Previously, her botanical works had been exhibited across Indonesia as well as in the United States, Bulgaria, Russia and Malaysia.