Kasia Borowiecka

Cosmos and plums

Flower designer

©Mathilde Karrer

©Olivia Bennett

©Liam Prior

©Mathilde Karrer

Ikebana revisited

Kasia reinterprets the Japanese art of ikebana in her flower installations and sculptures
Surprise is a key feature of her arrangements
She adds unexpected materials, such as food items

Kasia Borowiecka’s love for flowers has its roots in her childhood in Poland. She used to spend a lot of time either running wild in her grandfather’s garden, among sweet peas and poppies, or making flower books with her mother. As an adult Kasia obtained a master in Sociology, became an administrator and moved to London to work in the social care sector. Floristry remained a hobby of hers until she suffered from a burnout at work. In 2016, she changed paths and started as an interiors stylist assistant. “Flowers found me again at the right time,” she says. Kasia approached various florists in London and that is how she met her mentor and teacher, Frida Kim. Kasia studied ikebana with Shoko Koizumi-Hanson and obtained a teaching diploma in this discipline. Soon after, her floral studio Cosmos and plums was born.

Interview

©Kasia Rucinska

©Mathilde Karrer

How would you define your style as a flower designer?: It is a revisited ikebana. In my arrangements, I follow some basic rules, while other rules I break. I enjoy surprising people by introducing unexpected materials such as fruit and vegetables, or even noodles, potatoes and mushrooms.
Where do you get your inspiration from?: From art, sculpture and painting; from people and their stories; from farmers' markets, where I go and look for beautiful fruits and vegetables to use in my arrangements. In general, nature itself is my main source of inspiration. Ikebana taught me to be more observant.
How do you use colours and textures?: Arranging flowers is like painting to me. You can create shadows in your arrangements, darker and lighter moments. I love to mix textures, too, because this is what makes a piece interesting. As for colours, they depend on my mood – they can be toned down or explosive.
Are your works more functional or decorative?: They can be functional, but most of the time they are pieces of ephemeral art, which we get to enjoy before the flowers start to wilt. Vessels have a key role in these arrangements. That is why I collaborate a lot with ceramicists, always looking for interesting vases to support my flowers.

Kasia Borowiecka is a rising star: she began her career in 2017 and she started teaching in 2020