Stichting Kunstboek BVBA – serie

Jordi Gómez: Unlimited showcases the dynamic visual world of photographer and multi-disciplinary artist Jordi Gómez, capturing his 25-year journey. From his early analog work to his exploration of digital photography, this collection highlights his unique ability to capture the essence of his subjects with a signature blend of fantasy, glamour, and sex appeal. Born in 1978 near Barcelona and based in Ibiza since 2002, Gómez draws inspiration from hedonistic Ibiza and global cities like London, Miami, and Tokyo. His eclectic portfolio includes geisha, sumo wrestlers, ballerinas, models, and celebrities from music, fashion, and sports. Pushing creative boundaries, Gómez merges photography, graphic design, and AI to craft immersive installations. His art extends beyond galleries into hotels, restaurants, and private collections, even appearing on furniture, fashion, and wine bottles.Jordi Gómez: Unlimited is a tribute to his limitless imagination and groundbreaking artistic expression.Text in English and Spanish.

The ultimate reference in every rose-lover's library! The mysterious story of a more than four-centuries old quest for the black rose. Does the black rose exist, or has it ever existed? The complete history of this noble flower, based on authentic research, shows that the quest goes back to the very earliest botanical writings - references to dark roses cropped up in the early European botanical literature. Their further evolution can be easily traced by rose drawings, from the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century. Later, rose collections came into existence, rose collectors became famous and, from the end of the eighteenth century, rose gardeners received more and more recognition for their selections.This prestigious book, in a velvety soft cover, brings the full story of the black rose, based on original research, from the oldest historical images to the most recent developments, and prominent florists of world-renown show their creations with roses.

No one who wants to explore the world of floristry can do without the basics. They are even more essential for those who want to experiment. This handy book contains eleven basic techniques that every florist just has to master. All of these techniques are explained by master florist and teacher Gudrun Cottenier and explained in step-by-step instructions. Every technique comes with four or five compositions that show the possible variants on each theme. An indispensable manual for every hobby florist!Also available:Bouquets: Creativity with Flowers ISBN 9789058561886 £22.50Christmas: Creativity with Flowers ISBN 9789058562074 £22.50Interior Decoration: Creativity with Flowers ISBN 9789058561893 £22.50

After having finished training in painting, ceramics and sculpture, Moniek Vanden Berghe focused on floral art. Her style is contemporary-modern. One of her main specialities is bridal work. With an eye for stunning detail, she designs, with great accuracy, bridal bouquets, floral purses, corsages, hair claps and tiaras... She also decorates the bridal table, the cars, the church and the bridesmaids in an elegant and harmonious way. This book offers 'bridal ideas' to florists and is an inspiration for anyone who's soon to be married and wants to have a flourishing party. This is an excellent addition to Moniek's first bestseller on the theme of love and marriage.Text in English, French and Dutch. Also available:Flowers in Love ISBN 9789058561619 £22.50 More than 25,000 copies sold! Wedding Emotions ISBN 9789058561756 £42.50Brides in Bloom ISBN 9789058561190 £42.50

The history of orchids teems with tales of temptation and passion. This stunning book combines the most luscious and tactile photographs with surprising and informative texts about orchids. The first part of the book tells the tale about the discovery of orchids through history and describes the way in which orchids are perceived. In the East the emphasis lies mainly on positive characteristics, grace and generosity. In the West orchids personify procreation and sex. Why are orchids the way they are? Why those amazing, complicated shapes? Why those incredible colours? In Orchid: The Fatal Attraction Anne Ronse discusses everything orchids have stood for in the course of history.

Ryusaku Matsuda is generally considered one of the most important and influential 'masters' of traditional and modern Japanese floral art. He has been the head of Studio Matsuda since 1993 and has written several highly acclaimed and successful books that never fail to surprise. What drives him are the motives of a true artist: 'I've tried to discover the reasons why I create works that take both so much trouble and time and I've realised that my motives are likely to stem from my desire to spend as much time with plants as possible'.

In this book, photographer Henk van Cauwenbergh introduces us to the marvellous worlds of matador Jean-Baptiste Jalabert (France) and prima ballerina Francesca Docli (Italy). The public's favourite 'Juan Bautista', born in Arles, France and ballet dancer Francesca Dolci, a flamboyant member of the Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, are the representatives par excellence of a world in which sports and art seamlessly melt together. Follow both top athletes/performers during their daily preparations, become a privileged witness to the particular rituals preceding each performance and be a spectator of a dazzling sham fight at the Mediterranean!Text in English, French and Dutch.

Seven years after his first book, Bart Lens and his team Lens°Ass show how the direction they have chosen can lead to fascinating projects. The formulation of a clear and precise concept forms the basis of every single design. A concious choice of materials and elaborated detailing bring forth creations that express tranquility and serenity. The clear line-work emphasises the pure emotions that originate in the union of design and light. The great care that goes into the elaboration of the interior in all its facets is a constant preoccupation for Les°Ass. The book presents a wide variety of projects: new constructions, remodelling assignments, interior designs, even objects such as furniture and lamps. The introduction of a basic idea, a theme, forms the foundation of every project, no matter what its scale might be. This same vision is also the starting point for the recent large-scale architectural projects.Text in English and Dutch.

Seventeenth century Flanders was a cultural hotspot for both the fine and decorative arts. With well-established ports in Bruges, Antwerp and Ghent, it became an important transit region for both the export of local produce and the import of highly ornamental luxury products and valuables, such as lacquer boxes and ornamental lacquer cabinets imported from the Orient. These oriental high-gloss items, richly inlaid with wood and intricate mother of pearl motives, were built to stand the test of time. As the demand for these luxury items increased, Flemish craftsmen mastered the skills and techniques and created their own lacquer tradition. They didn't merely imitate Oriental lacquer decoration, but designed a peculiarly Flemish lacquer style that has long been overlooked in art history. This is the first comprehensive book on 17th century Flemish lacquer works and an in-depth study to help preserve the skill and the survival of this part of Flemish cultural heritage.

Waterlily Pond speaks to those looking to make a truly unique aesthetic statement. Fusing Eastern and Western design principles, the San Francisco based floral design company creates innovative customised floral art. Waterlily Pond has become recognised for their outstanding artistry, and for crafting exceptional, large-scale works commissioned by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the deYoung Museum. And the service doesn't end with flowers. Waterlily Pond offers complete event design for weddings and corporate and social events. Studio owner and lead designer Natasha Lisitsa is known for using bold flowers in adventurous colour combinations and a variety of interesting natural materials. Natasha has a reputation for seeking out the freshest and most exceptional flowers and materials, from exotic orchids to French silk ribbons. Her work has been described as modern, free-spirited, exotic, adventurous, organic, nature-inspired and sexy. A unique personality, captured in a multifaceted book.Also available:Moniek Vanden Berghe ISBN: 9789058563408Zhanna Semenova ISBN: 9789058563248

Contemporary jewel is unquestionably the result of thousands of years of history and research, with present-day jewellers still using the same precious metals and stones as their predecessors, but without ceasing to renovate, reinvent and experiment with materials, techniques and concepts.Jewelbook is the result of international teamwork, showing contemporary jewellery handcrafted by the world's finest modern jewellery artists. Jewelbook not only illustrates the most innovative works in contemporary jewellery, but also offers support to jewellery as a cultural expression of our time and is destined to become an important reference work in this field of art. A tool to make jewellers even more aware of what happens on an international level and to encourage the exchange of ideas and techniques.

Florist Daniel Santamaria's Christmas decor and flower arrangements are unique. They combine unexpected colours and materials without losing the traditional twinkle or the festive spirit of the holiday season. His style is tasteful and subdued, steering clear of the over the top 'Kitschmas' decor. Scented centrepieces, evergreen wreaths, festive garlands, table pieces with a twist, glittering ornaments,... this book brims with extraordinary ideas to make the house bloom with holiday cheer. It is the perfect gift for the green-thumbed party host(ess) and an inspirational treasure trove for those who are passionate about the holiday season.Daniel Santamaría is Master Florist at the Escola d'Art Floral de Catalunya, acknowledged by the FEEF. He completed his teacher's training courses at the Generalitat de Catalunya and perfected his art during specialised courses with master florists such as Benedicto Llum I Alonso, Montserrat Bolet, Gregor Lersch, Wally Klett, Nicole von Boletzky and many others. Together with Brigitta Ohlrogge he teaches pedagogy courses for floral art teachers in Hamburg and at the Escola d'Art Floral, where he has been a teacher since 1997. Daniel Santamaría teaches and gives lectures and workshops in different training centers throughout Spain, Europe, Latin America and Asia. He realises exhibitions and floral art demonstrations in companies and entities in the floral sector, both national and international. He was champion of the Catalunya Floral Art Cup (1996) and of the Spanish Floral Art Cup (1997) and runner-up in the European Floral Art Cup in 2003. In 2005 he assisted in the Spanish Floral Art cup. Since 2003 he owns his own company Floristik Projekt in Hamburg, and since 2009 he is the artistic director and coordinator of the Escola d'Art Floral de Catalunya. Also available:Christmas: Creativity with Flowers ISBN: 9789058562074

Thanks to cocooning and a hype around DIY, crafts and upcycling, our homes are increasingly becoming warm nests and a playground for creative minds who seek to inspire us through the use of colour and innovative designs that make a statement not only about who we are but the internal space we occupy, the space we call home. Plants and flowers have become favourite tools in interior design. Whether you like Scandinavian design or a classical romantic style, there are flowers and combinations to suit every interior. Interior Emotions contains a wealth of stylish floral art for the home, using different environments and styles, ranging from subdued to colourful, playful, small scale to wallscapes. This collection offers inspiration not only to the professional florist but to amateurs, who will be able to pick up ideas and get creative in their own homes. Featuring the work of three unique and internationally respected designers, this volume focuses on creating individual style with ideas are inspiring and original, bringing an additional natural element and splash of colour and style to any internal space lifting it from being a room, to an environment that lives and breathes.

Surrounded by flowers from a very young age, the decision to become a floral designer was anoabvious one for Hideyuki Niwa. To keep on challenging himself, Niwa often takes part in competitions and tries creating and photographing a new design every day to get a thorough understanding of the characteristics of flowers and their possibilities. His classic, linear style and minimalist expression with careful placement of plant materials, quintessential characteristics of the Japanese aesthetic concent wabi sabi, rightfully won him a Bronze Leaf in the 2010/2011 editio and he Gold Leaf in the 2012/2013 edition of Stichting Kunstboek's prestigious International Floral Art.Text in English and Japanese.Also available:Ryusaku Matsuda, Contemporary Floral Art ISBN: 9789058562999Naoki Sasaki, Japanese Contemporary Floral Art ISBN: 9789058562647

François Hannes is passionate and driven by beauty. He loves the good life. He thrives on the tranquillity of a landscape and nature, but finds the dynamics of the urban environment equally inspiring. Uncompromising in his designs, he aims for extremes and these are a feature of his highly individual and original work. His designs are calm and thoughtful and the different elements seem to naturally co-exist. They are exciting and bold, creating inspiring interiors with unique style and flair.Hannes's style of working and design is increasingly recognised and respected both nationally and internationally. His creativity, focus, drive and architectural insight make him a first-class designer. Sennah Studio designs and creates interiors where living well and finding enjoyment in personalised comfort are paramount.Text in English and Dutch.

Rumiko Manako is a refreshing outsider in the world of floral design. Her floral art is as graceful as dance movements, as technical and well thought-out as Ikenobo (Ikebana) but at the same time it remains as accessible as Western flower arranging. This very personal crossover style not only bridges the gap between traditional flower arranging and ikebana, but the Rumiko Style seems to be catching on rapidly. Proof of this is the growing number of national and international followers and the always-busy workshops and demonstrations. Rumiko Manako builds and sculpts with flowers and leaves, but despite the large dimensions, the three-dimensionality and the spectacular displays, her designs are elegant, flawless and poetic without a fault. This book shows Rumiko's designs in interaction with some special Parisian landmarks (including Castel Beranger, the Eiffel Tower, La Géode and Rodin), supplemented with works made in the studio and inspired by her many travels and encounters. Rumiko Manako is head of Manako Jafas in Paris and director of the Ikenobo Bousoukai Branch in Tokyo.Text in English, French, and Japanese.

With an impressive career of over 40 years that has resulted in the installation of large-scale art projects in numerous public spaces, artist/sculptor Luk Van Soom needs no further introduction in Belgium and the Netherlands. This beautifully designed art book is a first retrospective on his life and career. In a series of discussions and interviews with the artist, author Johan Pas sheds some light on the influences, philosophy, thinking and themes that have been vital for Van Soom's artistic development: the relation between life and passion, travel and art, etc. Together, these texts present a kaleidoscopic image of Luk Van Soom's life and work that is just as multifaceted and compelling as his art. At the age of seventeen Van Soom took his first tentative steps as an artist. Now 40 years later, he has an impressive curriculum including many exhibitions, commissions and projects both in his home country and abroad. Moreover, he created more than 50 monumental works for the public space in Belgium and the Netherlands, among which some very well know sights, such as Walhalla (1993, Antwerp), The Man from Atlantis (2003, Brussels), The Wharfinger (2005, Zwolle) and Walking to Magdalena (2012, Ostend).Text in English and Dutch.

The wreath is Japanese floral artist Manabu Hashiguchi's preferred floral shape. Its symbolism is universal. With no beginning or end, the wreath represents eternity and the endless processes in nature. Hashiguchi's designs are so graceful that they look as if there has been no artist's hand involved, and nature created the shapes by accident. Even the humblest of materials get the chance to shine and tell their story. Discover this intriguing collection of seasonal wreaths, which balance on the thin line between classical floristry and land art.Text in English and Japanese.

Yasser 'Mierkat' Booley started producing photographs in 1993 on the eve of the 'new' South Africa. Raised within the tension of a conservative Cape Malay home in politically fraught South Africa, he soon became an observant apprentice, set on mastering the essence of the electric 'rainbow nation'. This book is a celebration, an indulgent vision. Booley's South Africa shows ordinary people caught at a crossroads, entangled in a dishevelled unity. He brings to light the beauty of humanity through all religious and cultural differences, through class and gender diversity. His character and style reveal an unbridled optimism, sprinkled with an accidental whiff of irony.Text in English, French, Dutch, and German.Also available in the Africalia series:Grassroots Upgraded ISBN 9789058563910Calvin Dondo ISBN 9789058564214Julius Mwelu ISBN 9789058564030Kiripi Katembo ISBN 9789058565174Teddy Mazina ISBN: 9789058565167Sammy Baloji ISBN 9789058563965

Faith Flowers is a guide to arranging flowers in places of worship. The book starts with the fundamentals of flower arranging and works up to advanced designs for festivals. Step-by-step instructions and photographs clearly show how to create many different arrangements. Flower recipes are included describing what is needed for each design. Lots of inspiration for new ideas and colour combinations. Flower designs are provided for regular services, weddings, funerals, Christmas, Easter and much more. Learn how to create a volunteer group to provide flowers for your worship services. Author Laura Larocci shares her knowledge from 16 years as Flower Guild Chair of one of the largest cathedrals in the country. Over the years she has organised, led and taught hundreds of volunteers at the cathedral and churches across the US. She shares the triumphs and struggles of creating beautiful flowers within budget and volunteer flower guilds. The book has good reference guides with photos of flower varieties, greenery and materials needed, sample ordering forms, budgets and tips for saving money. Sources for flowers and materials are also discussed.

Angelo Turconi has spent fifty years roaming the Democratic Republic of Congo. This passionate, curious and compassionate photographer continues to this day to document the daily life of the Congolese, with a particular focus on their cultural heritage and artisanal and artistic traditions. His photographs capture the power of ancestral ceremonies and the joy of popular celebrations, presided over by the traditional chiefs who still occupy a prestigious position. They reveal the social structure of this central African community by observing the work of artisans, farmers, conveyors of goods (riding their impressive cargo bikes) and market traders. More than just a witness, Angelo Turconi calls himself an emissary of memory. It is the subject of memory that seems to haunt the pages of this book. By drawing on the power of customs that have not yet been dulled by globalisation, his photographs take us on a journey to a world apart: one that is recognisably contemporary and yet connected to references and traditions that seem to come from outside of our world.Text in English and French.

Surrounded by flowers from a very young age, the decision to become a floral designer was an obvious one for Japanese Hideyuki Niwa. At the age of 20 he graduated from Tokyo's flower college and in the same year he was employed by Kamon Flower Gate Co Ltd; a great and fruitful environment for an artist eager to learn and develop. Botanical Metamorphosis is Hideyuki Niwa's second book and focuses on the design process that brings out and attracts attention to special features of plants and flowers that would otherwise go unnoticed. This process of 'botanical metamorphosis' developed over time, as the artist grew more aware of the presence of flowers and plants. Hideyuki Niwa tries to capture the expression in flower heads, the movement - the 'breathing' - of leaves, the heart beating in the stems and the will of branches... but in order to bring out these characteristics and to enhance the charm of nature, it is necessary to 'dismantle' the original shapes, reconstruct them and awaken their new beauty. As always Niwa's execution of the design and the placement of materials is flawless, bordering on perfection. The aim of his powerful designs and his mission as an artist is to create floral designs that tug at the heartstrings, inspire and enchant the viewer and create a lasting impression.Also available: Hideyuki Niwa: Japanese Contemporary Floral Art ISBN 9789058564375Text in English and Japanese

The work of Pia Burrick isn't coquettish, but genuine. Her stories and images touch, move and sometimes cause uneasiness. Burric's artistic oeuvre can be divided into applied and free work. Her functional applied glass creations are made to measure for specific interiors and complement existing elements. These creations, mostly stained-glass windows, are made using traditional techniques but are nonetheless contemporary in style and most of all in perfect harmony with the space. Her private work is more open, more sober and more powerful. The designs in which she toys with the boundary between figuration and abstraction are most imaginative and convincing. Glass allows working on both sides, opaque or transparent, projecting or reflecting, with or without colour. Burrick experiments with combinations of pure glass, enamel, lead or lead sheets The themes and subjects determine the techniques. Images from around the home, newspaper photos or television stills are often at the base of her objects. Any image that is powerful and sticks in the mind is hung up in the studio, where it waits until it is transformed and takes on its definitive form. Pia Burrick is a remarkable artistic personality who made glass art her favourite form of expression.Text in English and Dutch.

The impressive Château de Chenonceau is the jewel of the French Loire Valley. The fairytale type castle has had a particularly rich history and has always been inhabited and curated by intelligent, strong-willed women such as Catherine Briçonnet, Diane de Potiers, Catherine de Medici and Louise de Lorraine - hence its nickname 'Ladies' Castle'. Through the ages the spaces have been imprinted with the souls of those who built, inhabited and loved the castle. Every part of Chenonceau's interior and exterior - not in the least the castle's impressive gardens - exudes peace, harmony and elegance. Since 2015 Jean-Francois Boucher has been appointed floral scenographer of the estate. Together with his small team he creates new floral compositions for the castle's rooms every week. These 'staged' flowers emphasise the history of the estate just like any other piece of art or furniture does. Their designs blend in perfectly with the interiors and are in beautiful harmony with the room's colour codes, perfumes and functions. Sometimes they even wink at poetry, art or the historical events that took place in these spaces. The Bouquets of Chenonceau is a magnificent coffee table book that will please both lovers of history and fans of floral design. Text in English and French.

The ethnographic literature of the 20th century focused mainly on the sculptural traditions of the numerous ethnic groups that populated Southern Nigeria while the more northern areas remained largely terra incognita. In 2013 Jan Strybol published a study on the sculpture of Northern Nigeria. He pointed out that in many parts of this region there are people who still had, at least until recently, their own sculptural tradition. In this study the author restricted himself to what is referred to as the Middle Belt and especially to the part between the Bauchi Plateau, the Gongola River and the Katsina Ala River. In 1974 Roy Sieber pointed out that, with a few exceptions, the people who were members of the Niger-Congo language family laid the foundations for the great African sculptural traditions south of the Sahara. However, the largest group of iconophile peoples in the Central Middle Belt of Nigeria is to be found in the Chadic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family.In this book of objects from private collections the author shows the great variety of the sculptures of the Middle Belt. This study mainly deals with wooden figures but also contains four wooden masks and three bronzes.Text in English and French.

Belgium has all the assets to become a true whisky country. The knowledge required to make whisky is readily available, thanks in part to our centuries-old culture of beer and jenever. A number of Belgian jenever distilleries and breweries have been experimenting with whisky for quite some time, but the concept of ‘Belgian whisky’ only really took off in the recent past. Every year new initiatives arise and time after time the announced releases are sold out in no time. Belgian whisky is appreciated, has become a sought-after collector's item and regularly wins gold and silver at international competitions. For the first time, an overview of Belgian whiskies and whisky houses is published in book form. An indispensable reference work for collectors and whisky lovers alike.Text in English, Dutch and French.

Do fashion and art go together? Fashion and art are both physical and psychological instruments that define our identity in this world. They bring moments of enchantment and passion. Discover the romantic clash between art and fashion in the form of a love story between two young people and get to know the true nature of two worlds that seem completely different from each other. This book is a mix of fiction and non-fiction. The love story between an artist and a fashionista teaches us that both fashion and art can be an élan vital for men and women. Do you remember your first encounter with art and fashion? Was it collecting art or consuming fashion? Fashion is action. Art is a reflection of this action. The authors of this book bring together experts from both disciplines, including 20 top designers and artists.

Lux Æterna is a series of 57 paintings by Belgian painter Ellen Marie in which we follow the process of a man on his way to self-realisation. Text in English and Dutch.

The Haribana style was created in May 2020 in the mid of the global pandemic when the supply of fresh flowers and other materials was limited in Singapore. Used to making flamboyant designs with an abundance of flowers, the material shortage forced floral designer Harijanto Setiawan to drastically rethink his design style and to come up with a fresh way to create high-quality and impactful designs using the least number of materials as possible. One could argue that the pandemic was a blessing in disguise for Harijanto, as it rekindled his passion for floristry and allowed him to reinvent himself and show another aspect of his personality as a designer – away from the extravagance everyone was used to. It allowed himto go back to his roots as an architect. While Harijanto’s imagination was still limitless, the realisation of his ideas had to be within the reality of the pandemic. A grass leaf and a single flower are enough to create a Haribana piece, a highly architectural design statement with a single flower as focal point.The name Haribana hints at Ikebana – even though these designs cannot officially be classified as ‘Ikebana’, as even the most free-spirited Ikebana schools objected to this. Haribana therefore is Harijanto’s own interpretation of ‘some sort of Ikebana’ married with an architectural style and approach.Haribana pieces incorporate architectural concepts such as structure, balance, shape, line, color, texture, rhythm and harmony into floral art, as if the two are destined for each other, rather than forced upon. Steel grass stalks can be seen as the load bearing structures in architecture: the steel reinforcements and the concrete. The greenery is shaped to create the base structure, a filigree facade against which a single flower can shine.Haribana is suitable for any designer who wants to explore and understand how architecture can be translated through flowers. Haribana has been well received and it is Harijanto Setiawan’s hope that it will fill a unique void in floristry and develop into a specific style that is adapted worldwide.This book contains 65 stunning Haribana pieces designed by the master himself.