Talking Culture - From Stage to Stillness

A Talking Culture special event, as part of the ‘Sustain’ theme. From Stage to Stillness by Maryanne Bilham, NZ.

This exclusive session reflects a transformation of art as a shift from external intensity to internal resonance—from the raw electricity of live concerts and the urgency of capturing fleeting moments, to a quieter, more reflective communion with nature and its quiet wisdom. After three decades as an international music photographer, Maryanne Bilham turned toward a new cadence—leaving behind the spotlight to re-settle in Aotearoa during the global pandemic. What began as an unexpected pause became a powerful turning point, leading to the founding of Flora Sanctum: a studio devoted to sustainable floristry and fine art floral photography.

It begins in the adrenaline-drenched nights of performance—crowds pulsing, lights strobing, bodies in motion. The art here is immediate, visceral, driven by sound, sweat, and spectacle. But beyond the chaos of the stage, there is another pursuit: the quiet intensity of portraiture. In those still moments offstage, the camera turns inward, seeking not just the face, but the soul behind it. Emotion, style, defiance, vulnerability—all of it woven into a single frame. This is where image meets identity, and performance becomes presence. In this heartfelt keynote, Maryanne shares a story of creative metamorphosis, the artistry of light, and how flowers have become powerful new muses in her work— Her new muses appear not on stage, but in gardens and quiet fields—petals unfolding like revelations. Flowers, once background, become subjects. Their patterns, hues, and resilience inspire a new aesthetic, one rooted in presence, not pursuit.

The artist learns from their rhythms—how they bloom without applause, how they thrive through cycles, not crescendos. This transformation is not a retreat, but an evolution. The art now breathes with sustainability and reverence, trading performance for ritual, spectacle for spirit. It honors the world not by capturing its noise, but by echoing its stillness. “So much of my life has been spent chasing the perfect moment. In the music world, that moment might last a split second— a hand in the air, a flash of light, a shared glance. You either catch it or you don’t. But in still life, I’ve learned that the moment doesn’t always announce itself. You have to wait for it. You have to listen.”

FREE, first come, first in, limited capacity.

Maryanne Bilham Portrait

Maryanne Bilham; Flower