My deep appreciation for flowers began with the blue cornflowers that grew wild in the golden wheat fields of my grandmother's farm in rural Ukraine. As an introverted child with an active imagination, I spent hours observing and interacting with the flora and fauna around me. These experiences profoundly shaped my perception of beauty and defined my relationship with nature.

After years of working in the commercial floral industry, I felt disheartened by its relentless pace and emphasis on quantity over quality. Sadly, I witnessed enormous waste, unsustainable practices, unhealthy working conditions, and flowers turning into mere commodities.

Ordinary Matter is my vision to approach flowers and other botanical materials as an artistic medium, with the honor and humility they deserve. The name Ordinary Matter embodies my fascination with the interconnectedness of all living beings, moving through birth, growth, aging, decay, and transformation. Impermanence is our common ground — nothing stays still, everything shifts its form. This is the principle behind my floristry: to shape works that acknowledge change rather than resist it.

My style, too, is in constant evolution. In recent years I have leaned toward minimalism, finding meaning in restraint. I often choose a single floral ingredient, sometimes pairing it with another, and only rarely more. The same is true for color: I find endless richness in the subtleties of greens and browns. In my work, I try to let flowers speak in their own voice — fleeting yet deeply rooted in a larger continuum.