Ivan Berghella

Ivan Berghella….this is my name. I’m Italian, I live and work in Pescara (on Italy’s central east coast). I’m an accountant, but started my first florist education at Federfiori Italian School in 1996, then on to various private schools with Peter Hess, Jean Marie Leeman, and Runi Kristofersen.

I also served as an international judge and teacher with European Athenaeum of Floral Art from 2001 till 2011, and in 2006/2007 participated in 6 different international seminars with Flornet projects in Hungary, Germany, The Netherlands, and Norway. I’m also a window dresser. I  have taken part in many flower competitions, winning an Italian free championship, in addition to many second and third place prizes at international competitions in Sweden and Denmark.

My parents were cut flower growers, so naturally I’ve always taken a deep interest in flowers, plants, and nature – and my interaction with them. This is what inspired me to become a florist. I tried to learn all I could about flower arranging; then I started to experiment with all kinds of materials at school, at home, and in my own shop. Now I have my own flower studio and my own school, and collaborate with other schools such as Vea in Norway, and Primavera in Moscow.

I think flowers can express our full range of emotions, from joy to sorrow. It’s possible to communicate through different creations using various colors, materials, and shapes -– and adapting them of course to the occasion. I prefer land art, but of course natural and floral sculpture work is also very interesting because I can communicate my feelings to people in an easy way – and show them in an art gallery!