A Way with Flowers
Words: Tous Mag | Image Credits: © Aiku Floral |
The answer to lost words, a reminder of how beautiful life’s natural gift can be, a pollinator’s crucial tool, a sweet aroma and a healing power; flowers have been admired and celebrated for centuries. From a tiny seed sown to a blossoming field, there’s a sigh of glee to be had as the first flowers of spring thaw or the welcomed change of burnt orange palettes hunker down for Autumn.
Knowing how to emphasise and illuminate a flower or foliage’s intricate anatomy is a mastery that New York based Aiku Floral perfects like no other. Unafraid to experiment, to discover the beauty in the unconventional or underestimated, Aiku’s ability to create a harmonious tune of drama, movement and stillness in one arrangement is as breathtaking as it is inspiring.
Each arrangement is carefully imagined and solely nurtured. The result is a distinguished, simply unique and unwavering work of art. Finding ‘beauty’ in ‘simplicity’, with a firm belief that ‘everything that grows around us is magical’, Aiku Floral’s inflorescent aesthetics adds a new superiority when paired with bold vessels and powerful plinths. With displays that are to be marvelled at up close or from afar — from wedding arrangements to commercial installations — what connects them, globally, is their pledge as part of the #nofloralfoam movement: a plea that speaks loudly to end the use of non-biodegradable and toxic materials within the floral industry in a bid to save our planet.
“Florals and plants are beautiful materials for creativity. They offer a wide range of colours, textures and shapes. It’s not everlasting but it definitely makes the process interesting! You create a floral composition, enjoy it for a few days or weeks and the rest stays in your memory. It's like a temporary sculpture with an expiration date. This is why I started taking photos of them.”
Read the interview below with Aiku, founder of Aiku Floral, to learn more about their wonderful way with flowers.
An interview with
Aiku Floral
Tous Mag: When did your love for floristry develop, what's the journey been since then?
I spent a lot of time in nature when I was a kid. The most vivid memories are the summers I spent by the Baltic sea. I was the one who loved to make wildflower crowns and birthday bouquets for my beloved ones! At that time, I had no idea I would have a passion for flowers. This summer will mark five beautiful years that I’ve been living in this magical world of flowers.
Tous Mag: When do you feel most creative throughout the process of making an arrangement, are there ever any restrictions?
Absolutely no rules or restrictions. In floristry you can use techniques, but there are no rules. If there were any restrictions then all florists would do the same thing. There would be no room for creativity, therefore everyone’s work would look the same.
I always enjoy each step of the process, this is the most important thing for me; starting from the first conversation with the client, generating ideas, picking a selection of flowers, looking for unique details in nature and transforming everything into a magical floral! I believe if you enjoy all the steps then you will be successful in the final result. Everything I do, I do with passion and joy.
Florals and plants are beautiful materials for creativity. They offer a wide range of colours, textures and shapes. It’s not everlasting but it definitely makes the process interesting! You create a floral composition, enjoy it for a few days or weeks and the rest stays in your memory. It's like a temporary sculpture with an expiration date. This is why I started taking photos of them.
I love freedom. It’s this same freedom that I seek to give to my flowers. The most important thing is to let them move in their natural direction. I don’t want to squeeze them into a round ball or lay them out strictly into specific colours. In nature flowers grow differently, some need more sun and grow very high while others prefer shadow and like to hide. I like to transfer nature’s natural and earthy feeling into each floral project while saving their organic and wild shapes.
Tous Mag: What flower would you say tells the most stories with its intricacy or versatility?
I can’t pick one flower, it’s too difficult, because in each culture flowers have different meanings. I think it depends on what occasion or person the flower is for! With floristry, the most important thing is to transform flowers in the right mood and create an appropriate atmosphere.
Tous Mag: Would you say you're most inspired by shape or colour when arranging, or do both need to work harmoniously?
Colours and shapes need to work harmoniously. All flowers are unique in their own way, you just need to find them a good match! I love the change of seasons. This process inspires me every single day. Sprouting nature in the spring, blooming gardens in summer, colourful forests in fall, naked tress and dried out weeds in the winter are all very exciting to work with. I love how nature provides me with different materials due to its season, all of it is just absolutely mesmerising.
Tous Mag: Does working with flowers make you feel more connected to nature?
Nature is what we all have in common. It gives us what we need; food, water, climate, nutrients and nourishes our spirit. The most important thing is that it protects us. While I live in the big city I miss being in nature. Flowers help me to be closer to it. I do appreciate that florals chose to have me in their life!
