FLORALJOURNEY

China has always been fascinating to me, not only with her long history and colourful civilisation, but also because of her natural wonders. Flora and fauna in China have captivated the imagination of the people in the West for hundreds of years. Chinoiserie is the term for the fashion of Chinese themes in decoration in western Europe, beginning in the late 17th century, reaching its peak in the rococo chinoiserie wave, 1740-1770.

All things Chinese became objects of desire among the European elite, and that included Chinese vases.

In Chinese floral art, it has always been symbolism that plays an important role. Flowers, plants, and decorative motifs on vases convey different auspicious meanings. For example, chrysanthemum is a symbol of joviality and a life of ease. Pine is an emblem of longevity. A vase represents peace and safety. Inspired by my floral journey to Taiwan, I designed three vases, which took their different shapes from traditional Chinese vases.

Using these China-inspired vases as containers, I created today's simple flower design. I use blossoms of pink anthurium as my floral material and leaves of crinum "menehune", or red bog lily, as my foliage material.

To begin, I roll the leaf of the red bog lily to form a circle of approximately 10cm. Then I use a piece of bamboo pin to secure the circular form of the leaf.

My next step is to prepare the holes through which the stem of the blossom of pink anthurium will be inserted. I do that by piercing through the leaf with a long needle, starting from one side of the leaf circle towards the opposite.

Then through both holes, I insert the stem of pink anthurium while maintaining the circular form of the leaf. I then fill the vase with fresh water. The final step is to insert the stem into the vase. Repeat the steps for the other two vases. And here we have it _ a simple flower composition that provokes the image of late 17th-century chinoiserie in western Europe.

TIPS

1. Other long and narrow leaves such as the leaves of flax lily can also used.

2. Other flowers with long and small stems, such as the dancing-lady orchid can be introduced to create a different look.

3. Narrow-necked vases are recommended for today's composition.

Sakul Intakul is an internationally renowned Thai floral artist whose portfolio includes commissions for HM the Queen and conceptual designs for Bvlgari Hotels and Resorts in Bali. He can be reached at sakulintakul@yahoo.com or by visiting www.sakulintakul.com. Enter his wonderful world of flowers at www.facebook.com/fansofsakulintakul.