Judy Leung opened her design studio, Found Floral, in 2024 in Berkeley. Here, she shares how she got into floral design, her design philosophy, and the inspiration behind her Bouquets to Art installation.

Magnolia Molcan: How did you get into floral design?

Judy Leung: I was working in a design studio as an industrial designer. During the pandemic, while planning my own wedding, I was introduced to the world of floristry. I was too intimidated to work with real flowers, so I started by foraging materials during daily walks — branches, grasses, seedpods, whatever I could find. That practice of gathering “found” materials ultimately inspired the name of my studio, Found Floral.

I was helping a friend with her wedding, that was my first ever project. I realized I was making flower crowns until 2 am and was still really enjoying that process. So I started doing more, practicing a lot more, and sharing my work.

The pandemic brought unexpected change — I was laid off from my role in industrial design. But that pause gave me clarity. I chose to fully dedicate myself to flowers, something that had always been quietly calling me.

MM: How does your background shape your design approach?

JL: My design background taught me to consider not only what something looks like, but also how it’s built and experienced. And so I want the experience of flowers to be really magical, whimsical, but also something that people can truly feel immersed in.

Craft is central to my approach. I think everything around the flowers is equally important. Even the vessels that the flowers are in. For this installation, the mechanics are going to be custom made.

MM: Can you tell us about your design studio, Found Floral, and the philosophy behind it?

JL: We’re a design studio that creates floral experiences for weddings, special events, and immersive spaces. Our philosophy is rooted in craft and intention. We’re inspired by what’s local and seasonal.

I come from a very multicultural background, and I think our studio reflects this. We’re a collective of artists and designers with a wide variety of skill sets, interests, and strengths. We have a really unique shared vision, and it’s extremely collaborative.

We think a lot about sustainability. We are a foam-free design studio. We challenge ourselves to create mechanics that defy gravity, but also think about the second life of these mechanics. Because I have an industrial design background, a lot of these mechanics are also engineered with the intention that they will be reused. This includes 3D-printing a custom flower frog, or thinking about different ways to hold flowers up without using foam, or how to supply water to stems we can’t reach during install.

Throughout our entire design practice, we’ve always thought outside of the box of what we can do in terms of mechanics that is beautiful, intentional, and sustainable — and also just looks really cool.

MM: Why is it important to you to collaborate with local nurseries and artisans?

JL: I think it’s important to honor the materials and find sources that are close to the place you’re going to be creating. One example is our job in Hawaii. We toured an orchid nursery where they actually hybridize new orchid varieties. We were able to cut straight from the farm for the event. To me, that’s extremely fascinating because the colors also informed the design.

Finding something that grows naturally yields a much better result, and the flowers tend to last way longer. That is important to the design practice because it reinforces the idea of sustainability and honoring the place, and honoring the flower itself.

MM: Can you describe your installation at the Legion of Honor?

JL: The concept is essentially a spring garden because it will be the very cusp of spring. It will be this immersive installation that people can walk through. We call it the artists’ garden because it will house flowers that have inspired works in art history. All of these flower varieties will hopefully connect visitors back to the artworks, and how the artists are connecting to those flowers in their work.

MM: What are some of the collection artworks that inspired the installation, and how are they incorporated?

JL: There will be a pond inspired by Claude Monet’s Water Lilies (ca. 1914–1917). There will be sunflowers alluding to the sunflowers in Gustave Caillebotte’s Sunflowers along the Seine (ca. 1885–1886). Another example is Flowers in a Vase (1882) by Henri Fantin-Latour. It almost looks like he cut a bunch of wildflowers from the garden and put it in the vase. We’ll dissect some of those flowers and plant them in the garden. 

We’re thinking that when visitors are walking through, they can use their phones to scan a QR code, and that would lead them to a painting that’s in the FAMSF collection. 

MM: How do you hope visitors interact with the installation?

JL: I would like for them to feel immersed in the garden. To be able to walk through it, but also around it. It’s like a figure eight. The installation draws from the idea of a garden-scape, with vessels and custom flower frogs that reveal both the beauty of the flowers and the mechanics holding them in place.

Process is central to our philosophy, so we’ll also open that up to the public. Throughout the week, we’ll be “planting” and evolving the garden in real time. We’ll share moments of that process virtually as well.

MM: What do you hope visitors take away from your work?

JL: I would like for people to feel transported. I’d like them to appreciate the design process and see behind the scenes on how these environments are created. I want people to learn something new, even a certain variety of flower. And I want people to walk away feeling they can appreciate the art they saw just a little bit more. 

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.