marcin rusak studio's 'flora cabinet' preserves the fleeting beauty of dried flowers

marcin rusak studio unveils its contemporary interpretation of the mid century, josef frank-designed ‘flora cabinet 140.’ while the 1950s-era version is defined by its decorative, botanical illustrations, the newly completed cabinet expresses a new depth and ethereality. the piece integrates a collection of repurposed dried flowers — a fleeting and discarded source of beauty — chosen for their sculptural qualities and colors.. with attention to quality of craft, the piece is realized through a labor intensive fabrication process involving the collection and processing of the flowers to the finishing of the resin by hand. suspended within this bed of resin, the assemblage of flowers is composed like a painting, with several compositions tested through an iterative effort.

images by mathijs labadie

marcin rusak studio‘s ‘flora cabinet 140’ is realized as part of a larger investigation on the potential use of flowers. the studio engages its dual interests of natural aesthetics and material significance by translating such a temporary natural medium into a durable and valuable piece. commenting on its material studies, the team at marcin rusak comments: ‘the tests led to two avenues: one stable and permanent, flora perma, and another, flora temporaria which, as it ages, will evolve and transform visually over time while maintaining structural integrity. objects made with flora temporaria become part of our lives, while contributing a subtle nature of their own.’

project info

project title: flora cabinet

author: marcin rusak studio

photography: mathijs labadie