Gardeners of Eden: Meet the Artists Shaping Singapore's Floristry Scene

Photography Joel Low
Styling Evon Chng

Under the moniker Mossingarden, Charles Loh may create tiny worlds within glass jars as a hobby, but there’s nothing small about the raison d'être behind them. Defined by their mossy landscapes, Charles’ lovingly crafted terrariums are his artistic means of reconnecting fellow urbanites with nature. 

"I hoped to instill a balance of nature back into people’s lifestyles, seeing that we are surrounded by concrete and sometimes brush aside nature unknowingly," he says. "Mossingarden was born to remind us that the world is much bigger than we are."

If you’ve been to the Straits Clan recently, you may have spotted the artistic floral creations of This Humid House, a botanical design studio founded by John Lim. With a love for nature and a trained eye for design, John underscores the beauty of Singapore’s oppressive climate through the use of tropical flora, often in wondrous and surprising ways. His take on why people are endlessly fascinated by flowers and nature? "It's because we will always be drawn to beauty."

Sarah Lim is no stranger to the local floristry scene, having established Poppy Flora Studio 18 years ago. The veteran floral artist creates arrangements of flowers that are free to grow as they would naturally, so as to appear like they’re “dancing” – a skill that she teaches others to master at her workshops. Sarah’s fascination with nature doesn’t end there: she also captures her beloved blooms in delightful botanical paintings. To her, "nature is both a great teacher and artist."

Fashion blogger Chloe Choo may not necessarily have her mother Sarah’s green fingers, but you’d be wrong to write her off as someone who doesn’t care for nature. In her words, she has “her moments”, although she’s “not a fan of insects and bugs.” If anything, the It-girl’s style and penchant for wearing floral dresses show us that her mother’s passion has certainly left an indelible mark on her.

It’s hard to describe Lucinda Law without mentioning her innate synchrony with nature, evident in her composed demeanour and wisdom-riddled words. On paper, the botanical artist expresses it best through her delicate watercolour paintings, the first of which planted the seeds of her very own nature-led creative studio, Within. 

"We're compelled because we're nature and we need it," says Lucinda. "Nature doesn’t need us. Humans exist in a mere blink of time compared to the time that nature has existed. Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our generation; the emerging narratives going on about nature inspire me to look into how to protect what I love."

CREDITS

Hair and Makeup Ziwei Yang/PaletteInc using Urban Decay and Keune 
Photography assistant Alfie Pan
Styling assistant Mable Yeo
Flower arrangement Humid House