A “paper flower garden”…

We heard that an interesting exhibition is being held at Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum and we thought we should search a bit more about it. The name of the exhibition is “Paper Flower Stories”, and it is what exactly the title describes: flowers made of paper. Masterfully crafted to be more precise. They were created by the Greek paper flower art creator, Rallou Gianna.

So we searched for her and finally we had a beautiful talk about her special art.

What Paper Flower Art is

Paper Flower Art, is the art of making paper flowers. It started in China 2000 years ago, a few years after the invention of paper. At that time it was used as a religious offer. It arrived in Europe in the 11th century and over the years paper flowers took on a very realistic form, and began to be used to decorate houses. Today, they are an alternative to real flowers, since they are just as beautiful, they last for many years and they are ecological, since the paper is recycled. We see them at fashion shows, events, shop windows and anywhere we want to decorate a space.

How did you get involved with this art? And … why flowers?

Flowers and nature have always fascinated me. At the first opportunity, I always go for a walk in the countryside. The scents of flowers, the colors of nature, and the sounds of birds calm and rejuvenate me. Many years ago, when my children were small, they were given a kit with all the tools needed to make paper flowers. Short time later the warehouse was flooded and everything inside was destroyed, including the kit.

Several years later, in 2020, I came across an article on the internet talking about paper flower art. Then I remembered how intrigued I used to be to try making paper flowers. So I read a lot about it, learned about the tools, experimented with different types of paper, bought books about it and slowly – slowly got it down to where it is today. At the time, Covid had just started, and I was also going through a health problem that had confined me into the house for quite some time, so I had plenty of time at my disposal to experiment and create.

Are the creations entirely made of paper? What other materials do you use?

My paper flowers are mostly made of crepe paper. It is a malleable material, which allows me to give it the shape I want. Besides the paper, I use special wire for the stem of a flower, which I cover with floral tape. I also use wire to attach the leaves to the stem and to make the branches of the plants. I often add wood to my creations because it is also a product of nature that I really like. Also, the use of markers, crayons and chalk add realism to my creations.

Your next step?

I plan to continue creating arrangements of flowers and plants in pots or vases, making them in larger dimensions as well. I also plan to continue making paper flower paintings, which I have very recently started doing.

We wish every success to Rallou Gianna and many beautiful exhibitions in wonderful places like the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum.

Date: October 8 -14

Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum,