Yunus Karma

Flower designer

A destiny bound up with flowers

Yunus is self-taught in his craft
His fascination with flowers began in his grandmother's garden at the age of nine
By regularly training apprentices, he hopes to carry the craft into the future

Yunus Karma’s fascination with flowers began when he was merely nine years old, admiring the riot of colours and scents in his grandmother’s garden. “Those flowers, tended by her loving hands, were my first muses. The fascination they sparked became my life's work, and the memory of that garden is always with me, like a constant whisper of inspiration in my art,” says the self-taught artisan. Yunus worked as an apprentice for many years before opening his own studio in 2009. Apart from offering custom-designed fresh flower arrangements and installations, he also creates floral sculptures, in which the natural and man-made come together to form unique artistic expressions. “This sculpting process is not about altering the flowers’ essence, but rather about framing it, highlighting each petal, each curve, in ways that unveil their truest beauty,” he explains. Since the mid-2000s, Yunus has also been training apprentices with a conviction to develop the next bloom of creative talent.

Interview

What are your sources of inspiration?: Seeing different cities, escaping into the forest, nature, music and good food make me very happy. I am inspired by nature and the depth of flowers.
In what way is your craft linked to the territory?: Thanks to our country’s rich flora, I find myself incredibly fortunate. Drawing inspiration from nature and breathing in its exquisite scent always nourishes my soul. Yet, being in a smaller niche of the global flower market challenges me to push harder, turning limitations into a drive for creativity.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: I really like the timelessness of flowers and I love bringing out-of-fashion flowers back to the agenda with different designs. In terms of innovation, I am especially happy about digitalisation and more nature-friendly production of flowers with new techniques.
Could your craft be considered in danger?: Aside from an eye for design and passion, mine is a craft that requires patience. This can be a very slow learning process for the current Generation Z, and in this sense, it is becoming increasingly difficult for apprentices to train.

Yunus Karma is a master artisan: he began his career in 2012 and he started teaching in 2004