My name is Oksana Orlova. I am originally from Belarus. My journey in floristry began during my school years. Despite having a university degree in a technical field, I chose a creative path: I studied in artists’ studios and completed professional floristry training in Riga, where I obtained my diploma as a Master Florist.

It is difficult to list all the places, teachers, and masters I have studied with - there are truly many. However, I would like to especially mention the Belarusian expressionist artist Nikolaj Buscik, Gregor Lersch, Peter Hess, as well as thematic seminars at the floristry school “Nicole.”

In 2016, I founded my own floristry school, ArtLab, in Minsk, where hundreds of students were trained (the logo of my school can be seen in some of the photographs).Around the same time, I was invited to television to host a segment about flowers on a morning program on the country’s main TV channel. It was a valuable and inspiring experience.

I have participated in exhibitions, presentations of artistic works, and professional competitions, including: a window display design competition in Minsk (1st place), the international professional floristry competition ArteFlorando 2016 in Italy (5th place), a professional florists’ competition in Kaliningrad (1st place), Land Art in Saint Petersburg (4th place), the Belarusian Floristry Championship (2nd place). I also participated as part of a group in the floral installation of a church in Belgium during the International Flower Festival “Fleuramour.” The following year, I conceived and realized the design and installation of a room at Alden Biesen Castle.

I enjoy participating in exhibitions and presentations of artistic works. For me, they function as a form of artistic exhibition - a space to present research and allow room for boldness. I have been invited as a lecturer and as a judge; to be honest, judging did not resonate with me - I prefer being on the other side. Teaching, however, is very important to me: I am able to communicate clearly and build genuine contact with each participant. This may also be influenced by my background in psychology and several years of continuous practice working with people.

Currently, I work on private commissions, creating floral and spatial installations for events, offering individual training, and designing greenery for terraces and small gardens (I also hold a professional gardening diploma).

Over the past few years, I lived with my family in Poland; today we live in beautiful Italy, where I hope to continue my creative journey. After all, beauty will save the world, won’t it?