Floral display: Flower power at its most beautiful

22 participants whip up vibrant collection within an hour.

ISLAMABAD:

Neat lines, flowing forms and simple techniques defined the floral creations at the floral art society’s imposed class at the Serena Hotel on Tuesday.

Delicate hands took lead, busily snipping and arranging the identical roses and foliage made available to the 22 participating members. Despite the short hour within which the ideas were to be conceived and realised, members worked with ease and occasionally stepped back for self-critique or admiration.

“Floral arrangement is the exercise of both mind and hands,” said Asma Ansari, the president of the Islamabad Chapter of the Flora Art Society Pakistan (FASP). She added that the society offers a therapeutic platform for women to realise their own creativity through exposure to that of older members.



Ansari, who scanned the evolving floral arrangements across the hall, explained that an imposed class is one where all participants are given the same material to work with in order to challenge and push their imagination.

However, the inclusion of younger and relatively less experienced members encouraged the judges to split the prizes between new-comers and what they jokingly referred to as the “oldies”.



One such new-comer was 28-year-old Fatima Tauqeer, who earned second prize in the former category. She said she seeks to groom her aesthetics and learn the skills imparted by senior members of FASP at workshops, visits and hands-on challenges such as this. Leaving her demanding job to be married in two months, she feels that being a part of the society will keep her busy.

“I took care of all the floral arrangements for my sister’s wedding,” she shared, proudly pulling up a picture on her phone. Her floral creation is neat and compact and unlike some of the more flowing ones propped adjacent.

Other winners included newer members, Farhat Shahid (first place) and Tahira (third place), while Farhana Azeem, Ayesha and Ghazala Abdullah got positions in the senior category.

Created 40 years ago, the FASP aims to give talented women a platform to express themselves through floral art, encouraging a love for flora and fauna. The society has chapters in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Hyderabad, Sialkot and Faisalabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2013.