Flowers often populate the art world as subjects and muses, but hardly ever as raw components in a piece. Artist Raku Inoue has turned the tables, using blooms and leaves as materials for creating new art rather than simply depicting a bouquet on a canvas. Building from the colors and shapes found in nature, Inoue recreates famous characters from pop culture, marrying the timelessness of the franchises they belong to with the ephemeral quality of the flowers.
Inoue's journey with flower art began one rainy day. “As I stared out of the dining room window, I saw our rose bush getting shook by strong winds,” Inoue tells My Modern Met. “I noticed that the delicate rose petals were getting blown off to the ground. It felt like such a waste of these beautiful roses so I went outside and picked up the petals and brought them back inside. I have a creative personality, so instinctively, I thought of making something with these.” Although his previous work was often inspired by nature, the artist says that this particular moment was when he really dove into producing floral art.
Despite all the effort the artist puts into his flower art, each piece is destined to be a short-lived artwork. While he has experimented with dehydrated materials in the past, for Inoue, there is something that feel precious in working with fresh materials.
“I have a materialistic tendency so letting go of things is not something that comes easily to me,” he admits. “Creating impermanent art reminds me that not all things are meant to last forever… especially within nature, and that there is beauty in letting things go sometimes.”
Before working with flowers, Inoue was better know for his polymer clay sculptures—an art that informs his creations today. “Working with polymer clay and other sculptural materials has taught me to think and see things in three dimensions,” he says. “When you create something in 3D, there are things to consider such as the height, width, and depth of an object. You also need to think about how lights and shadows are going to behave on that said object. Once I started to see things in 3D, these questions became less confusing and I became more knowledgeable with the placement of objects within spaces.”
Inoue's process can vary. Sometimes he decides to look for plants with a character in mind, while other times he comes across a curious leaf or bloom that ignites his creativity. “It is possible to spend an entire day without being able to find that special plant that is compelling,” the artist says. “I’m very much aware that creative sparks can come from anywhere, at anytime, but I find that they are harder to come by when I’m intensely searching for it. All I can do is to keep my mind open so that as soon I perceive something interesting, I’m ready to seize the opportunity.”
Inoue usually works with plants he forages near his home in Montreal, as well as farm flowers that he purchases at a local flower shop. He is also at the mercy of seasons, given there are many plants that are only available during a short period of time each year. “In my opinion, this also adds to the preciousness of these materials,” Inoue says. “Each year, I look forward to when certain flowers bloom and plants sprout. And each year, I love seeing the trees' leaves turning red, slowly engulfing the horizon. Each season has something to offer and for those that can appreciate even the tiniest aspect of it, will perceive all of their glory.”
To stay up to date with the flower artist's work you can follow Inoue on Instagram.
Artist Raku Inoue recreates famous characters from pop culture using flowers and leaves.
The artist turns the tables by using flowers as materials to build an image with rather than simply having them as a subject in the artwork.
Despite all the work the artist puts into his flower art, they are destined to be short-lived artworks.
“Creating impermanent art reminds me that not all things are meant to last for ever… especially within nature, and that there is beauty in letting things go sometimes.”
Sometimes, he decides to look for plants with a character in mind, while other times he comes across a curious leaf or bloom that ignites his creativity.
“It is possible to spend an entire day without being able to find that special plant that is compelling.”
Before working with flowers, Inoue was better know for his polymer clay sculptures—an art that informs his creations today.
He usually works with plants he forages near his home in Montreal, as well as farm flowers that he purchases at a local flower shop.
Inoue is also at the mercy of seasons, given there are many plants that are only available during a short period of time each year.
“In my opinion, this also adds to the preciousness of these materials. Each year, I look forward to when certain flowers bloom and plants sprout.”
“Each year, I love seeing the trees' leaves turning red, slowly engulfing the horizon. Each season has something to offer and for those that can appreciate even the tiniest aspect of it, will perceive all of their glory.”
Raku Inoue: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Raku Inoue. Quotes have been edited for length and clarity.
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