Award-winning Chinese florist blends domestic and Western floral arts

From a passion to a proficiency, Pan Shenhan, now a 24-year-old postgraduate from China majoring in Urban Planning and Design at the City University of Macau, has dedicated himself to adding a modern twist to traditional Chinese floral design. In 2017, he emerged as a young gold medalist in floral design at the 44th WorldSkills Competition held in Abu Dhabi, flashing his expertise and aesthetics.

Besides excelling academically, he continually creates artworks that promote Chinese floral design art on a global level. To create a floral artwork, one has to think about the materials and overall style. "First, I will sketch a rough outline on some paper, which will serve as the frame for the artwork. It's important to consider the materials for building the frame and envision how the different parts will be connected, and how the flowers will be placed. I may have already added all the flowers in my mind. This mental composition will guide the entire work," said Pan.

For Pan, arranging flowers is actually quite fascinating because "each one has its unique growth habit, dynamics, and expressions." "Just like humans, flowers have expressions, too. So how do you make a flower look its best for the camera and the human eye? It's our responsibility as florists to arrange and combine them. This is one of the most enjoyable aspects of my creative process now," he explained.

Zhu Yingying, an expert floral designer, is full of praise for Pan's skills: "His ideas and creative abilities are excellent. He has strong technical skills and a meticulous approach to his work."

Traditional Chinese flower-arranging skills have a history of over 3,000 years. Early in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), it had been diffused and adopted in Japan and developed rapidly. "As the country of origin, however, we must constantly work to innovate and develop our traditional Chinese flower arrangements. We should also incorporate global fashion trends to attract young people and bring more floral content into households, reflecting our desire for a better life," said Zhu.

"Zhu Yun Fang Hua" is an art piece created by Pan, with the entire structure being constructed from bamboo. The flower arrangement is in a pure Western style but with Chinese elements added into it. "It's a fusion of East and West, with Oriental elements and rhythmic lines. The overall expression aims to convey the gift of nature and the craftsmanship of florists. The weaving techniques and manual craftsmanship are used to achieve a new effect and express the mood, portraying the florists as the stewards of nature," Pan said.

In blending the Oriental and Western floral arts, Pan has his own understanding. As Pan put it, "Western floral art resembles Western oil paintings with its vibrant and colorful nature, while Oriental floral art captures the elegance and beautiful lines of Chinese landscape paintings. The integration of bright colors, volume and Oriental charm is really the key. By focusing on these elements and incorporating Western methods of composition, we can achieve a blend of Eastern and Western influences in floral art."

Pan wants to introduce Chinese flower arrangements to the world. This includes showcasing traditional Chinese forms and incorporating more modern styles like those in European floral art, but using his own language to express it. He said: "This represents my dream of bringing Chinese culture to the world."