• WAGNER KREUSCH

print

Photography: courtesy of Wagner Kreusch 
17 / 02 / 2022
He was born in Florianópolis, "in one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet", but it is since 2011, in London that he has been dividing his time between teaching, consulting and customized projects. 
Smitten by the city's creative atmosphere, the co-founder of the London Flower School admits to being "slightly obsessed" by the way "we relate to plants and by the way they are able to shape our existence."

Inês Graça: Do you consider yourself to be a florist or an artist? Wagner Kreusch: This is a question that often arises. My work is completely rooted in the art and craft of Flower arranging – an art form that is as old as culture itself. People have been using flowers and plants as a way of self-expression for centuries, so by calling myself a florist I’m also bringing to people’s notice a form of expression that should be respected as an art form. If there is, in fact, any difference between the two words, then I would say I’m both a florist and an artist.

IG: We tend to associate flower arranging with spontaneity, but beauty wouldn’t exist without a thoughtful and careful process behind it. Would you agree with this? WK: The famous English florist Constance Spry used to say that the most powerful thing about floristry is the spontaneity of the art itself. It’s important to remember that our medium of work is still alive, so your response as an artist needs to be swift. Even though we spend a lot of time studying techniques and the rules of composition, for me the most important thing is still to be a hundred percent present. The ephemeral quality of our work, not only as a sculpture but also as a performance, is what inspires me the most. What interests me in Floristry is the encounter between nature and culture. I remember my first visit to Pompeii, where I saw this beautiful painting of a women foraging for flowers. The idea of the first person in human history that decided to collect a flower from a field and bring it back home is something that keeps me awake at night.
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
IG: You are co-founder of the London Flower School (LFS), a space for exploration that aims “to push the boundaries of education in the flower industry”. What’s the message you would like to keep promoting? WK: Founding the London Flower School was one the most challenging projects I have ever undertaken. People criticized me a lot, saying I was too young for something like this, but LFS came from a place of truth. I really wanted to contribute to an industry that I have the utmost respect for and the contribution from the LFS is undeniable. We still have a long way to go before florists are truly respected as artists in Western society. 
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
  • WAGNER KREUSCH
For more information, visit Wagner Kreusch website.
close

Subscreva a nossa Newsletter, para estar a par de todas as novidades da nossa edição impressa e digital.