It started with a failure – he wasn’t accepted to the design faculty at the Warsaw’s Academy of Fine Arts. After one year, though, he got into the prestigious Design Academy in Eindhoven, and two years later he was accepted to the Royale College of Art in London. Afterward, he opened his studio and quickly become a rising star in the world of design. That’s one way to briefly tell the story of Marcin Rusak. But this is just the beginning. The designer is only 30 years old and has a talent for experimentation.

The work on material that was to age visually just like leather or metal lasted two years. Cooperation with the faculty of biology at the Imperial College of Art gave birth to a signature technology of encasing flowers in resin which brought him success and acknowledgment in major competitions.

He won the 2015 Perrier-Jouët Art Salon Prize for his collection “Flora.” Real, but dried petals are encased in resin. Resin blocks were cut to create lamps and a screen. Exhibited at major design events, from Design Days Dubai to London Design Festival and Design Miami/Basel, his works have always stirred considerable enthusiasm. The Flora collection which has been recently nominated by design star Ilsa Crawford, triumphed at the French Maison et Objet, where it won the first prize in the Rising Talents category.

Nature, which serves as standing reference for artists, has always been a source of inspiration in design. Marcin Rusak’s projects resemble old Dutch paintings showing stunning still lifes emerging from dark backgrounds. The designer also confesses to taking inspiration also from William Morris and his floral patterns. 1:1 floral motifs became the starting point for two design collections: Flora Perma and Flora Temporaria. Flora Temporaria ages, transforms visually in line with the natural process of aging. In principle, objects forming this collection become part of our lives, accompany us with their subtle, changing nature. Flowers used in their production come from flower markets or stores where otherwise they would have been thrown out as unwanted waste. Marcin Rusak’s projects have given them a chance for a new life.