The power of paper flowers
HE WATCHED wide-eyed in bemused horror as the guests, dressed in their Sunday best for a wedding, enthusiastically clambered onto chairs and plucked colourful flowers off the wall. But rather carefully, of course, because they were all made of paper.
“We had decorations everywhere – they were hanging on the wall, pedestals, walkway, tables and chairs ... and the guests removed almost everything we had put up for the wedding. We were horrified in the beginning, but it was indeed a rewarding experience knowing that they loved it so much that they were willing to go to all that trouble to dismantle the decor just so they could bring it home,” recalls selftaught artist Bryan Tan, 36.
When he started out three years ago, all he had was a pair of scissors and a sharp blade. But he was not afraid to dream big and go bold.
Today, his paper flower designs can get rather elaborate, bringing the art of paper craft to an intricate high.
And to think it all started from a place of love.
His sister was getting married and, for a wedding to remember, Tan and his girlfriend Ashley decorated a ballroom with a combination of fresh flowers and kusadama origami flowers.
“It is the art form I love the most, taking a single sheet of paper and turning it into a piece of art. It takes a lot of work, patience and passion but it is a very gratifying experience.
“Paper art was a new and niche market in Malaysia at that time, but it is something I have always believed is amazing and has a huge potential to grow,” says the Kuala Lumpur-born Tan.
Still, making paper flowers for a living was never something he imagined he would do. Years ago, he had signed up for a graphic design course in university, but had to put that on the back burner due to financial constraints. He ventured into the F&B industry with a partner but unfortunately it did not work out, so he took a leap of faith into the artistic world.
“I had an opportunity to try something new and I grabbed the chance. Now when I see people stop and admire the flowers I made, when I see them respond in awe at my art, when my flowers make them smile – well, I have no plans to jump off this ship anytime soon,” he concludes.
Check out Tan’s creations on www.instagram.com/thecrafters.my and www.facebook.com/thecrafters.my