The blooming popularity of a Japanese style of floral arrangement, Hananingen, has reached Australia with a TAFE NSW student becoming the first person in the country to open a studio in Blakehurst dedicated to the unique floral style.

TAFE NSW Padstow Floristry student, Yuka Konno, is the face behind Puppeteer Floral Design Studio. Hananingen, translating to “flower human” in Japanese, is a style of arranging fresh flowers on people’s heads and bodies. Yuka also creates these designs for clients who have an illness or are balding.

Yuka said, “I found it hard to express my message and emotions fully by just creating arrangements in a vase, but with Hananingen, I am creating and arranging flowers on a person to highlight their beauty.

“My ultimate goal as a florist is to pay my respect to the flowers by manifesting their life in the most beautiful form through my work.”

Yuka studied a Certificate III in Floristry at TAFE NSW Padstow and has recently graduated with a Certificate IV in Floristry this year. She was awarded the TAFE NSW Bernie Gadd award for Design Excellence, which was the highest honor of the year for Western Sydney students.

“I didn't have much knowledge of flowers before I started studying at TAFE NSW, but the teachers taught in a way where I could learn in a hands-on environment and gain practical skills and experience as I progressed through the course.”

“I had many opportunities to thrive in the industry while studying at TAFE NSW. I won the NSW Flower Growers Scholarship in 2018, which went towards my Certificate IV in Floristry. I really like that teachers always support and gave us the opportunities to challenge ourselves.   

The Flower Growers Association awarded TAFE NSW Training School of the Year for the third year in a row this October. Another student from TAFE NSW Lidcombe was also named the Student of the Year.

TAFE NSW Floristry Head Teacher, Joanne Hynard, said, “It is a great testament to the quality of training TAFE NSW is providing for its students to be recognised as the best training provider in the industry.

“This demonstrates that TAFE NSW students are learning skills that are recognised and highly regarded by the industry right across the country, which leads to exciting career and employment opportunities.”

Industry representatives from Flowers HQ, The Royal Horticulture Society and Professional Florist Association presented the awards at the TAFE NSW event to high achieving students.

Media contact: Jessica Cortis, TAFE NSW Media and Communications Business Partner, 0456 170 211