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Explore Artisans Museums & Galleries Experience Itineraries About
©Mika Lin
©Mika Lin
©Marcin Chrusciel
©Marcin Chrusciel

Daniel Santamaria

  • Flower designer
  • Barcelona, Spain
  • Master Artisan
Daniel Santamaria Flower designer
Contact
Spanish, English, German
Hours:
By appointment only
©Mika Lin

Creating contrasts

  • • Daniel has been working with flowers for over 32 years
  • • He draws inspiration from architecture and nature
  • • He’s the creative director of the prestigious Barcelona floral art school

They say you never forget your first: that’s certainly true for Daniel Santamaría, well-known floral artisan from Spain and creative director at the Escola Disseny Floral I Paisatgisme de Barcelona, the floral art and landscaping school of the city. He started working with flowers aged 14 as an errand boy in a florist’s shop where he helped selling Christmas trees. But he still remembers the turning points of his career: "My first course as a teacher, my first competition, my first demonstration, my first international trip, my first book, my first shop, especially my silver medal in the 2003 European Cup. And of course my first arrangement: it was a bouquet of 35 red tulips and it looked really... bad!"

Read the full interview

Works

  • ©Mika Lin
  • ©Mika Lin
  • ©Mika Lin
  • ©Mika Lin
  • ©Mika Lin
Photo: ©Mika Lin
Sunflowers

The composition matches a floral object made of sunflowers and their seeds, with two candelabras on a wooden support. Santamaria plays with the square and circular shapes, highlighting the contrast between the geometric hardness of the wood and the romanticism and fragility of the sunflowers. The yellow colour of the latter is also a symbol of energy and positivity.

Length 80 cm
Width 50 cm

Photo: ©Mika Lin
Orchid arrangement

Epidendrum and Cambria orchids, gloriosa and apple branches are arranged together in this floral object, where Santamaria plays with symmetry and asymmetry. A metal structure supports the composition, adding a geometric twist.

Length 50 cm
Width 80 cm

Photo: ©Mika Lin
Square wreath

A squared wreath – of Phalaenopsis and Epidendrum orchids, Gerbera mini, Helichrysum bracteatum and fern leaves – is arranged onto an acrylic support and placed next to a cubic wooden block with candelabras. Straight lines are protagonists, symbolising order and firmness, but they are softened by the flower texture. The transparency of the acrylic support adds a nice play of shadows.

Length 80 cm
Width 50 cm

Photo: ©Mika Lin
Floral still life

Inspired by the floral still lifes of the 17th and 18th centuries, this arrangement, matching flowers and candelabras, is a rich chaos of organic lines contrasting with the coldness of the squared wooden support. Santamaria used Phalaenopsis and Oncidium orchids, garden roses, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana and dried leaves to create an abundance of floral materials, textures, colours and tones.

Length 70 cm
Width 70 cm

Photo: ©Mika Lin
Autumn arrangement

An autumn-inspired arrangement made with Gloriosa rothschildiana, Salix caprea, Ranunculus repens, xanthorrhoea australis and dried leaves. Santamaria plays with materials, shapes and lines, creating an asymmetric space and obtaining a beautiful result of absolute simplicity and elegance.

Length 100 cm
Width 70 cm

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