Armenia boasts a rich biodiversity of indigenous ornamental plants. Flowers also play a significant role in the cultural heritage and identity of this country that lies south of the great Caucasus mountain range and fronts the northwestern extremity of Asia. This is the land from which floral designer Arman Voskanyan, who represents the country in the upcoming 2025 World Cup Floral Art running from August 28 to 31 in The Hague, hails.
For more than a quarter-century, Arman has been part of those shaping Armenia’s floral landscape, not just as a florist, but as a storyteller—one who believes that every bouquet is a narrative, and every floral arrangement a literal negotiation between nature and the soul. Now, as he gears up for this summer’s Florint World Championship Floral Art, his journey in floristry comes into the limelight, opening up page by page like an elaborately knit bildungsroman, with color, culture, and tenacity at its very nucleus.
A Bit About Arman’s Journey in Floristry
Arman’s story begins not in the grand halls of international competition but in the quiet corners of his childhood home, where a fascination with cacti and succulents grew into something more. He says: “My journey in floristry began quite early—back in my school days. Essentially, while I have been working in professional floristry for twenty-five years, I have been interested in flowers since my childhood.”
His mother, recognizing the budding passion, arranged for him to train at a local flower shop. Young Arman was instantly entranced: “I immediately fell in love with everything: the atmosphere, working with living materials, the opportunity to create with my hands.” Within a month, he had found work at another shop. Accordingly, what began as a hobby soon became a vocation, one that would take him forward, year after year, into the very heart of an ever-evolving floral art form. Hence, floristry, for Arman, is not just a profession. It is, as he puts it, “the language through which he communicates with the world.”
His Style: A Synthesis of Living Nature and Design Thought
Arman’s approach is based on synthesis—a merging of living nature and design thought, where color is seen and felt, and each composition seeks to “touch the soul,” as he puts it. His signature style is unmistakable: expressive, handcrafted forms with a futuristic touch, floral masses that gently envelop clear structure, a kind of visual back and forth between art and nature. This, he says, isn’t just floristry. It is a bridge between the future and the present. Known for his creative and often metaphorical floral arrangements, sometimes incorporating elements of fantasy and other dimensions into his work, his projects often intertwine philosophical concepts with floral art.
Arman Voskanyan:
“For me, floristry is a language through which one can speak about the deepest matters. When I take on a philosophical idea, I first live through it: I sense its color, rhythm, form. Then, the translation—from abstract to visible—occurs through composition: texture, construction, the dynamics of movement in space. For instance, the theme of time can be expressed through the cyclicality of form, the transition of shades from warm to cool, or vice versa.
As a designer and florist, I create not just a floral composition but an object that tells a story. My experience in international competitions has taught me to think unconventionally, to seek out unique materials and solutions so that the idea is not only understood but also remembered.”
To put this into a clearer perspective, when Arman encounters a theoretical idea, he first lives through it. His Armenian identity is also essential to his artistry—a cultural code permeating his every design. As he says, “I’m Armenian, and this is felt in every detail: in color, mood, symbolism.”
The Role of His Cultural Background and Personal Experiences in His Floral Creations
Armenian culture is deep in history and subtle beauty. It teaches Arman to see a flower not just as material, but as a bearer of meaning. In his work, one might ‘hear’ the rhythms of Armenian music, from the melancholic notes of the duduk to the strong chords of folk melodies, setting the mood of the composition… its inner voice. Still, for him, floristry is an art that merges aesthetics, philosophy, and an innovative approach to space. Each composition, he insists, holds meaning: the intimate connection between humans and nature, and the search for beauty through balance and contrast.
Arman Voskanyan:
“I’m inspired by architecture, from ancient monasteries to modern monumental structures—strict, precise, yet spiritual. These forms, stone, shadow, light—all of this I subconsciously transfer into the structure of my floral objects. The nature of Armenia is a separate chapter: harsh and gentle at the same time. The color of the rocks, the aroma of dry herbs, the strength of the mountains, and the clarity of the sky—all of this lives within me and finds reflection in my creations."
Personal experience, he says, is his palette. Everything he has lived through, where he has been, what he felt; they all become the foundation of his compositions. His work is, in essence, a dialogue between his Armenian roots and the modern world in which he creates. As he says, "In this synthesis, something truly mine is born.”
Flower Story: Where Each Bouquet Tells a Unique Story
Arman founded Flower Story, a floristic studio, to work as both a workshop and a stage. For him, Flower Story is more than just a name; it is a concept in which each bouquet is like a short story, a moment of life translated into the language of color, form, and texture.
Therein, he approaches each composition as a director might a scene. “Not only is beauty important, but also emotion, subtext, and aftertaste,” he remarks. The process is deeply personal. He considers the recipient, the occasion, the message, and selecting flowers not just by variety or color, but by character, because he believes that each bloom has its own intonation. And if one listens carefully, it will suggest what the story will be about.
Participation in the 2025 World Cup of Floristry
Arman’s resolve to compete at the 2025 World Cup of Floristry was not made lightly. It was, as he reflects, like an internal dialogue that had been ongoing in the background until one day it was voiced aloud.
He says:
“The decision [to participate in the 2025 World Cup] wasn’t spontaneous—it was maturing. There was a moment when I looked at my work from the outside and realized: I’m ready. Ready not just to showcase technique or style but to tell the world my story—through flowers, through form, through everything I’ve accumulated as an artist and as a person. And most importantly, I feel deep pride in representing Armenia on such a prestigious international stage.”
The World Cup itself is a crucible, a gathering of the world’s best floral artists, each vying not just for a title, but for the chance to make an unforgettable statement. Sponsored by floral giants Decorum and Marginpar, the competition is as much about the materials as the maker. And, Arman is intimately familiar with both brands. Their flowers and plants, he says, represent a high standard of quality that one strives for as a floral designer, especially when working on an international level.
Arman:
“Decorum impresses with its range of both potted plants and cut flowers, while Marginpar consistently offers inspiring, textural, and creative blooms that are ideal for signature compositions. Another crucial aspect is the reliability of their products—the flowers are strong, long-lasting, and behave well both during the design process and throughout the display period. That’s critical, especially in competitive conditions. So yes, I’ll be delighted to use their flowers at the World Cup, and I’m confident they’ll help me express my ideas as accurately as possible.”
Even more, the World Cup is, for him, more than just a competition; it is a culmination, a pinnacle of what he has been working toward for years. He says: “On a personal level, it’s a moment of truth, a leap beyond the familiar, a challenge to myself, and a way to say: I’m ready.” Professionally, it is a global platform, a chance to showcase not just technique, but philosophy, culture, and style. A chance to make a bold statement, to expand boundaries, and to open new doors for creativity, collaboration, and future projects.
More Than Just a Competition
Arman believes that participating in the World Cup is not just another career milestone—it is a new chapter in his growth as a floral designer. It is like a window into a new world and, at the same time, a mirror that shows him what he truly is. And while such an event comes with some degree of pressure, which he admits would be daunting for anyone, he finds motivation in the same intensity; experience, preparation, and a clear sense of purpose keep him grounded. When immersed in the creative process, he finds an inner stillness and focus, concentrating not on the competitors but on expressing himself candidly and powerfully, which he says is the path upon which he walks with confidence.
Victory, for him, is not measured solely in medals or applause. While winning, he admits, is of course important, what matters even more to him is to be felt and understood. Through his work, he hopes to speak about the future—about how humans, nature, and technology can coexist and inspire each other. In particular, the theme of space, as both metaphor and reality, fascinates him: “As a symbol of the infinite, the unknown, yet something that feels deeply personal.” So, his compositions are not only about beauty, but about the urge to look beyond the horizon, to imagine how the conversation between the organic and the manmade might look in times to come. He considers that if someone looks at his work and feels that impulse, then he has accomplished his goal.
Arman, whose idea of staying up-to-date in a field as dynamic as floristry calls for vigilance and curiosity, reveals that he always refuses to remain in his comfort zone; drawing inspiration from nature, architecture, fashion, science, and technology to keep up with the trends. He is especially drawn to drifts around sustainability, bio-design, working with unusual textures, and transforming traditional materials, all of which will be central to his design processes at the World Cup of Floral Art.
Futurism also fascinates him: He mentions the ‘forms of tomorrow’, the synthesis of nature and technology, and the exploration of light and movement in space. For him, nonetheless, it is not about just following fads, but about reinterpreting them through a personal lens. Because that is how ideas that become truly recognizable are born, he envisions the future of floral design as interdisciplinary, bold, and deeply evocative, because the industry is moving beyond mere decoration toward meaningful expression.
So, as the world’s eyes turn to the Florint World Championship Floral Art, Arman takes the podium not just as a competitor, but also as a storyteller and a bridge between Armenia’s ancient essence and the future of floral art.
Photos by Arman Voskanyan.
