Jiseon Jang

Painting with flowers

• Jiseon turned to flower design to relax during a stressful period
• Elaborate textures and colour palettes are her signature
• Her arrangements are often compared to Korean oil painting

At first, Jiseon Jang took up flower design as a remedy for stress. After graduating in metal craft design, she worked for a jewellery maker, but grew exhausted and felt she needed something more stimulating. Flower classes helped her in this process, and after a couple of years of study, her hobby turned into her profession. "I found a job in a flower shop, but I wanted to express my sensibility and taste to the full," she says, "so I ended up launching my own Seoul-based studio, Sole Moon." Since then, she has found her own way, both making arrangements for weddings and events, and teaching flowers in one-to-one workshops. "Coming up with new designs every day is not easy," she admits, "but this challenge is also my major driving force. I love what I do because I am always studying, thinking and creating."

Interview

©Jiseon Jang

©Jiseon Jang

Where do you find your inspiration?

Directly from observing the shapes, colours, and textures of flowers. Even if they are the same species, they are all different in the bending of their stems, the petal hues and the degree of blooming. I respect their natural features to the fullest.

Is your style innovative or linked to Korean tradition?

A mix of the two. I work with modern techniques and I am influenced by contemporary trends. But my arrangements have often been compared to my country’s traditional art: they have large flows and lines and a sense of space that remind you of Korean oil paintings.

Which are the most important features of your arrangements?

The first one is the overall texture, which may vary depending on how I combine the different flowers and leaves. The other is colour: I normally use tone-on-tone to create a smooth continuous feel. I dye flowers artificially, too, to widen my colour palette.

Do you make preparatory sketches or improvise?

Sometimes I make sketches, but they do not always work, because small details such as the direction of the stems or the position of the flower's faces are unpredictable. I always take pictures of the completed work, though: if there is anything I do not like, I can correct it.

Jiseon Jang is a master artisan: she began her career in 2013 and she started teaching in 2017

Works

©Jiseon Jang

©Jiseon Jang

©Jiseon Jang

©Jiseon Jang

©Jiseon Jang

Where