In 2019, Francisco José García Almodóvar, a former nurse from Ciudad Real, transformed his professional life by discovering contemporary floral design after watching a report about the Flora festival in Córdoba. Drawn to the concept of 'floral artists', he left his former profession and enrolled in the Savia Bruta School in Madrid to study the discipline of ikebana, a Japanese tradition that uses flowers as a means of introspection. This encounter with floral art allowed them to find a new purpose, overcoming the transitional period they were going through. As he delved into ikebana, García Almodóvar found inner peace, using the simplicity of the art to experience emotions and to connect more deeply with the flowers.
Currently, García Almodóvar will participate in the Flora Festival, where their installation "Nomadic Seeds" will address themes of resilience and adaptation in the face of climate change. Its aesthetic approach follows the philosophy of wabi-sabi, celebrating beauty in the imperceptible and rejecting polluting materials such as floral foam. Ikefrana, their artistic project, challenges the conventions of Western floral art by creating works that invite contemplation and the audience's questioning. Its commitment to sustainability is reflected in every piece, seeking to inspire spectators to reflect on the fragility and inherent transformation of nature.
Read the full news article on The Country.
