Vessels carry diverse values in daily use and decoration, representing the most accessible form of life expression. In this column, Jianze will join hands with real vessel users to explore the possibilities of how lifestyles and vessels can unfold together.

Hans: Former fashion editor and still-life photographer, also worked for a lifestyle concept store. Practices floristry only during holidays, playfully dubbed the "Weekend Florist."

01 The Seed of Floristry, Planted in the Past

Fashion, buying, and photography – though not directly related to floristry, the industries Hans worked in previously were all connected to "beauty," providing unique nourishment and perspective for his floral creations.

Jianze: How did you become a florist?
Hans: As a fashion editor, I attended fashion weeks several times a year, constantly surrounded by new, creative things. The use of color, silhouette, and materials in clothing subtly influenced me.

Editorial work involved content planning, which taught me to think in themes. Now I approach floristry similarly, developing a major theme and filling it through daily practice, giving my work a sense of series. Alternatively, I treat it like styling a look: using the same flowers, I always create at least 9 different arrangements.

Working at the concept store exposed me to different fields like food, clothing, furniture, and vessels. The regular display updates honed my sense of space.

Later, as a still-life photographer, I learned to consider relationships between objects and how to best present them visually – fixing, grouping props and products. These skills later became transferable to floristry. In 2022, I used up all my annual leave at once to take a basic floristry course, officially beginning my story with flowers.

02 The Impact of Beauty and Emotion

Immersed in the world of floristry, Hans constantly feels the impact and energy brought by beauty, which deeply moves him – creativity and imagination truly have the power to inspire, allowing people to feel life's beauty and infinite possibilities.

Jianze: What has floristry brought you?
Hans: I went through a low period, and floristry opened a door to a new world for me. Through continuous learning and practice, I gradually regained my confidence and courage.

Recently, I did the floristry for a birthday banquet. The client said, "I don't know why, but standing in front of this floral arrangement, I feel incredibly moved, I feel like crying." I never expected such a reaction, but that genuine moment made me realize I should create more pieces that bring emotional value to others.

At the XC SHOW in March 2025, a watermelon became a vase before being eaten, dried branches came from the greenbelt, and vessels were borrowed on-site. After completing the piece, Hans searched for a suitable "stage" for it – finally finding Jianze's Wafer Table. After placing it, he immediately trimmed some soft threads with scissors, letting them fall onto the table to form a perfect circle. Everyone agreed it looked great, preserving a unique emotional moment.

03 The P-Person's Way of Flowers: Unrestrained

In his project Bouquets in the Kitchen, Hans mentioned: "Kitchen – ingredients, Bouquets – fresh flowers; combining them with 'fun' can create an unprecedented little sculpture that lifts the mood." He also excels at incorporating unexpected everyday objects into his work as supplementary materials.

Jianze: How do you collect so many peculiar materials?
Hans: As a photographer, I started habitually collecting "trash" – packaging boxes, wrapping paper, stones, bottles and jars, small twigs and bark from the greenbelt, stones from the riverbank... Anything that caught my eye, I'd collect at home. So I have a dedicated area at home for these collected "trash" items.

Jianze: So... besides floristry, is there also "vegetable art"? "Fruit art"?
Hans: Whenever I go to the market, I switch between two mindsets. One looks for familiar ingredients, thinking about daily meals. The other, my florist's mindset, seeks novel, inspiring produce.

Beyond arranging a beautiful bouquet or cooking a delicious meal, we can try combining them to create a small sculpture with flowers and vegetables. If we define our work as "sculpture," we can break free from traditional floristry frameworks, observing everyday vegetables, fruits, and flowers from a new angle. Different seasons offer different produce; we can feel nature's flow and change through them, trying to create works that belong to the present moment.

Jianze: Where do your creative ideas come from?
Hans: In floristry, I'm a very typical P-person (spontaneous personality), and I really enjoy the surprises this lack of planning brings. So for floral projects, I prepare half and leave the other half for improvisation on-site. I don't want floristry to feel like engineering, constrained to one look or result. I relish the creative thrill and outcome of that "last-minute kick." Of course, there are moments of on-site panic and brain freeze. In those moments, I actually get calmer, knowing that to succeed, I must stay composed. Getting frustrated by failure only makes things worse.

Hans enjoys the unexpected final results. He believes a P-person isn't completely unprepared; they prepare materials (flowers and supplements) thoroughly beforehand. On-site, inspired by the space, they quickly engage their brain, drawing on all experience and materials, adjusting as they go, letting the moment guide them to the result, rather than forcing the process backwards from a predetermined outcome.

04 Hans's Vessel Guide

Several common flowers were chosen based on the principle of simple lines, along with kitchen produce like gourds, young pumpkins, eggplants, and grapes. They are both part of the floral arrangement and temporarily stored on these vessels, ready to be used as needed.

Hans feels the Rong series is very "versatile" – vases, candleholders, soft decor pieces, even building blocks. The different colors, sizes, heights, and functions provide a very friendly operational space for floristry.

Whether using vessels or easily movable produce, different combinations and stacking can create continuous, interesting vignettes in corners of the home.

Flowers cluster and disperse around the vases, dotting various points in the space. Florist Hans cleverly utilized the puzzle-like design features of the Puzzle Vase at home to create a work that delighted him.

Upon first seeing Puzzle, he felt owning 2-4 pieces was necessary to fully appreciate its fun. For this floral creation, he chose three Cookie White pieces and one Mint Green. This asymmetrical color combination breaks the inherent stability of the vase's square shape, allowing the florals to spill out more naturally, creating a uniquely personal home decoration.

05 Hans's Tips for Flower Arranging Beginners

Jianze: How do you recommend ordinary people start learning floristry?
Hans: Since starting floristry, I've only taken three short courses. Many people ask me this, and I always recommend Teacher Lin Zihan's classes. She was my foundational teacher and is someone I greatly admire.

My biggest daily source of inspiration is actually Instagram; I follow many florists of all styles. I also follow food stylists, photographers, designers, fashion and furniture brands, installation artists, etc. These fields are interconnected and offer fresh perspectives and ideas.

Jianze: Which should take precedence: the flowers or the vessel?
Hans: It could be either, depending on your goal. If I'm practicing at home with a new vase, I'll create different arrangements centered around that vase. Or, if cockscomb is in season, I'll make it the essential main flower in my work, presenting it using different vessels.

Jianze: What other essential tools are needed?
Hans: Floral foam, kenzan (pin frog), floral shears, floral knife, etc.

Finally, Hans's ultimate advice for beginners is: Don't judge your work by others' standards, don't be bound by rigid rules. Relax and dare to play!