Tabia Yapp, photo by Karina Wang

The first floral interpretation to hit you when you stroll into Art in Bloom presented by LINNEA (open March 19–22) is also the largest. LOVE by Robert Indiana, Newfields’ over 9,000 lb. iconic steel sculpture and Pop Art symbol will serve as inspiration for our Centerpiece Designer.

This year, that honor goes to floral artist Tabia Yapp, founder of Bia Blooms Studio. Bia Blooms is a Black, woman-owned floral design studio based in Los Angeles, with recent expansion into New York City.

Yapp is no stranger to contemporary design, having worked with many well-known clients: FENTYxPUMA, Hermès, Balmain, Alexander McQueen, Levi’s, UGG, Louis Vuitton, Lululemon, and many more.

Yapp’s signature style plays with levels, offers personality, and champions color to execute elegant, striking designs. Her arrangements have even been described as “fragrant art installations for the home.”

Her entrepreneurship has been featured in a video by Pharrell Williams and Jay-Z, Better Homes & Gardens, The New York Times, and Good Morning America to name a few.

Here she shares a little background and a sneak peek of her Art in Bloom vision:

Why florals?

Working in florals has allowed me to blend three of my favorite things: activating creative muscles, managing event logistics, as well as bringing beauty into people’s lives.

There is so much to love and learn from floral arranging as an art form. As someone who notoriously moves too fast and thinks about too many things all at once, florals have helped me slow down and appreciate what’s right in front of me. I’ve also gotten to build a community of vibrant, hardworking floral artists, growers, vendors and creative peers along the way.

What does it mean to you to interpret the iconic LOVE sculpture?

I am honored to be the centerpiece designer for this year’s Art in Bloom Festival. I see my design less as an interpretation of love and more as inspired by love, and the sculpture that celebrates it. Love can feel so many different ways, it conjures memories of the past and hopes for the future. I tried to do it justice by creating something vibrant, textural, and full of life.

How are you approaching this design?

I want my design to enchant the eye and excite the spirit. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to involve color, bring volume but also create surprising moments, edges and angles. And, of course, always keeping the statue in mind and the space it rests in.

Have you spent much time in Indianapolis? What are you most excited about (besides Art in Bloom, of course)?

I’ve never been to Indianapolis! So I am looking forward to the visit and being back in the Midwest. A nice change in scenery! I plan to explore every corner of Newfields (inside and out) and take in the beauty of all the participating designers’ floral creations. I hope to eat some delicious food too (always on the hunt for pancakes if anyone has a rec).