studio lilo molds moss like clay to create these botanical sculptures

studio lilo’s debut solo show, Is this even real?

Berlin-based floral artist and designer Lilo Klinkenberg, of Studio Lilo, made her mark on the design world with her first solo sculpture exhibition, Is This Even Real?, held at BAM Works gallery in Berlin during the summer of 2024. Known for her large-scale botanical installations, Klinkenberg describes her work as a blend of the natural and the surreal, encouraging viewers to rethink their relationship with the organic world.

The exhibition, on view through July 2024, featured six large botanical sculptures that played with contrasts—both visual and conceptual. Klinkenberg’s creations brought together organic forms and unexpected materials to challenge the audience’s perception of what is natural. Textural and tonal opposites — such as rough greenery against sleek metal — brought an edge to each piece, creating a dynamic tension between the tangible and the abstract. Her use of black fluff and polished silver surfaces, for example, created visual contrasts that leave viewers questioning what was real.

images © Clemens Poloczek

the floral artist’s unconventional process

Klinkenberg approaches her work for Studio Lilo in a unique way, using unconventional materials like pliable chicken wire to build the core structure of her sculptures. Instead of first curating a palette of flowers to assemble, she lets the form of the installation inform the materials. This freedom of expression allows her to create works that feel both grounded in nature and refreshingly unpredictable.

She is pragmatic when it comes to the fleeting nature of her floral and mossy installations. Many of the plants she uses will eventually decay, but she embraces this aspect of her work. She frequently selects flowers that dry well, such as Brunia, Scabiosa, and Achillea, and incorporates hardy materials like ferns and moss, which maintain their shape and texture over time. Her affection for moss is evident in her installations, especially her mossy contribution to Flos’ lighting activation during Salone del Mobile 2023 in Milan (see here).

Lilo Klinkenberg’s first solo show, Is This Even Real?, showcased six large botanical sculptures

lilo klinkenberg’s journey toward botanical art

Klinkenberg’s journey into floral sculpture and her founding of Studio Lilo was unexpected. Originally trained as a fashion designer at Berlin’s Universität der Künste, she found that working with garments alone wasn’t enough to satisfy her creative drive. ‘I need a bigger canvas. I’m actually more interested in creating atmospheres and working in spaces and rooms,’ Klinkenberg shared with Ignant — whose founder, Clemens Poloczek, photographed the exhibition. This realization ultimately led her to explore botanical installations on a larger scale, a move that has defined her career since founding Studio Lilo in 2018.

In addition to this solo exhibition, Klinkenberg has gained international recognition through her collaborations with high-profile clients. With her mossy installation for Flos’ lighting activation in Milan demonstrates her talent for integrating nature into design spaces. She has also worked with Cartier, crafting a large-scale botanical work for a 2022 event at the Langen Foundation in Germany, a museum designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando (see here).

organic forms and unexpected materials combined to create textural contrasts like black fluff and sleek silver