tomasi boselawa

Tomasi Boselawa’s floral art captures the remarkable natural beauty and unique cultural heritage of the South Pacific islands, particularly Fiji, where he was born and raised. He is also highly regarded  as the Pacific Northwest’s leading expert on Polynesian wedding ceremonies, and his deep knowledge of island heritage and floral traditions is clearly evident  in his exquisite arrangements of wedding flowers.

Tomasi founded Tiare Floral Designin 2007. He is a graduate of the Floral Design Institute in Seattle, Washington.

Tomasi’s journey began o n his island homeland of Fiji, where his keen interest in the natural world and native cultural arts (particularly traditional Fijian basketry and weaving) were cultivated from an early age. Tomasi shared his passion for Fiji’s natural beauty with thousands of people by guiding tours through many of the island’s renowned gardens, including the vast Sleeping Giant Gardens, which was created by orchid collector Raymond Burr ( of Perry Mason fame) to showcase his collection of more than 2,000 orchid varieties.

Tomasi's early exposure to the lush gardens and wildflowers of Fiji has continued to influence him at every stage of his life. In 1998, while living in Palo Alto, California, Tomasi planned an event for Fiji's Ambassador to the United Nations. F inding the floral centerpiece that was delivered for the occasion to be unsatisfactory, Tomasi began a period of intense self-education in the art of floral design, delving into every resource he could find.

While he has now studied under some of the world's most renowned and progressive floral designers in Seattle, New York and Los Angeles, Tomasi's natural sense of Fijian tradition in flowers and art continues to be his strongest influence. His love for woven art and his knowledge of Polynesian and Melanesian culture have become signature features of his work, particularly the Polynesian wedding flowers for which he is so well known.

Tomasi is a great admirer of Ikebana, the ancient Japanese art of floral arrangement. The concept behind Ikebana is that every flower should have its own voice. This principle is evident throughout Tomasi's work, and he continues to further his studies of this ancient art form and its modern interpretation.

His floral designs have been displayed in art galleries, upscale restaurants and public buildings such as the Tacoma Public Library and the Northwest African American Museum in Seattle. Tomasi regularly attends floral symposiums and flower shows throughout the U.S. in an effort to keep himself and his clients abreast of  the latest floral design trends . His work has also been displayed at the Floral Design as Art exhibit in Portland, Oregon and he was recently honored with the People’s Choice award for his piece, Woven Talanoa, at the 2009 Northwest Flower and Garden Show.