Tree of Wonder
Where My Immersive Art Journey Began
Every artist has a moment that changes everything… the spark that shifts a creative practice into a calling. For me, that moment was the Tree of Wonder, first built for Blossom Festival in 2022.
What began as an experiment in large-scale floristry soon became something much deeper: a living artwork that pulled people in, invited them to gather and whispered: this is what you’re meant to be creating.
The Seed of an Idea
At the time, I was working primarily as a florist and event stylist creating beautiful, ephemeral moments through flowers. But I felt this quiet pull toward something more immersive - art that you could step inside of. I loved the idea of having all senses engaged while being fully held by art that made you feel safe and connected.
When I was invited to create something for Blossom Festival, I saw an opportunity to explore that feeling. I wanted to design a space that didn’t just decorate the event, but transformed it. A piece that people could move through, interact with and feel changed by.
That’s how the Tree of Wonder was born: a towering, whimsical structure that invited fairies and festival goers into the spark of wonder through imagination.
Inspiration: Wonder, Nature & Childhood Imagination
From the beginning, the vision was to create something that felt like it had grown straight out of a storybook.
I’ve always been fascinated by trees; their strength, their symbolism, their quiet magic. They hold memories, shade, life. They’re grounded yet reaching for the sky. The Tree of Wonder became a way to capture that feeling - a portal between reality and imagination.
I wanted it to feel playful and sacred at once, inspired by childhood wonder, fantasy worlds and the way nature tells stories through form and texture.
Building the Dream
The process was an act of discovery. I built the frame with the help from some more professionally skilled friends. Welding the base structure and building the form with wire and covering with paper bark and assorted sticks that I’d collected on walks. These humble beginnings that grew into something extraordinary.
Layer by layer, I covered the structure with florals, draped fabrics, vines and organic textures. Each piece was chosen to create flow and depth, to mimic how nature grows but through a surreal, whimsical lens.
When the final lights flickered on, the whole thing shimmered with life. It wasn’t just a sculpture anymore; it was an experience.
The Festival Magic
At Blossom Festival, the Tree of Wonder became a gathering point and a space of connection, laughter and quiet awe. People sat beneath its canopy, danced around its trunk and used it as a meeting place.
It reminded me that art doesn’t have to hang on walls it can live among us. Watching people interact with the piece awakened something in me: a desire to keep creating spaces that invite curiosity, play, and emotion.
That was the beginning of Design by MINK’s immersive art journey - where floristry met large-scale storytelling, and installation became my language.
Why Wonder Still Matters
The Tree of Wonder continues to guide how I create today. It taught me that art can do more than look beautiful - it can move people.
Whether I’m designing a public activation, a festival piece, or an intimate installation, my goal is always the same: to remind people of their own sense of wonder. To create spaces that make them stop, feel, and reconnect even just for a moment.
✨
The Tree of Wonder planted the seed. Everything since has been its bloom.
