A BURST OF GENIUS

Like the statement floral centrepieces that he deploys to mega-watt events, Harijanto Setiawan is a delightful bundle of directness crossed with subtlety. He refers to his profession as ‘floral designer’: “It’s a little bit different from a florist,” he explains; “a floral designer is involved in planning—he implements the principles of design in his work.”

If Mr Setiawan is regarded as a rock-star florist, it’s partly because of the credentials that back his reputation. Trained as an architect, he wields a master’s in real estate, and was the first – and still is the only – floral designer to receive the President’s Design Award as Designer of the Year for the Arts in 2013. Between those, he has raked in awards at international competitions and conducted master classes on floral design. This year, Holland’s Boerma Instituut Flower School handed him the title International Master Florist.

At the Solitaire Soiree in May, Mr Setiawan sat down and regaled us with many stories, revealing his ultimate dream of opening a floral education centre someday.

When did you start Boenga?

I launched Boenga in 2004 with a floral studio in Shenton Way. It was the first business that I ever ran.

How did you train for your profession?

I studied floristry in Perth, but I never really stopped learning. I still join international floral competitions to challenge myself and learn from other floral designers.

What is your most memorable design project to date?

A mega wedding party in India for 12,000 guests. I worked alongside 150 workers to create and execute the floral set up based on the theme Alhambra.

Describe your signature style.

For commercial projects, my style is bold and flamboyant. Lately, however, I’ve started creating in a very minimalist style which I call and patented as ‘Haribana’—harijanto’s interpretation of Ikebana—using architectural principles. It is also the title and subject of my third book (available on Amazon). —TL