Bonsai as living sculpture, design as its frame. Trees, tables, pots — and the time that shapes them.
Through the mirror of a single tree, Ivo Santos observes the presence of entire landscapes projected within it. His work is not merely the shaping of a living plant, but an attempt to reveal how the memory of a mountain, a coastline, or a windswept forest can be held inside the miniature form of a bonsai. Each piece is a fragment of nature, re-examined through patience, silhouette, and time.
Based in Guimarães, Portugal, he studies in Japan under the guidance of Master Taiga Urushibata of Taishoen, deepening his understanding of the traditional Japanese school of bonsai design. His practice is rooted entirely in craftsmanship — every tree shaped, wired, and composed by hand, following the ancestral gestures passed down through this art.
His work has been recognized with several awards at the National Bonsai Congress in Portugal, the Bonsai Art Award at Trophy 2025 in Belgium, and the Crespi Award 2023 in Italy. Beyond the atelier, he brings bonsai into art installations, exhibitions, and brand activations, translating this ancient language of trees into new spaces for reflection. He remains open to new ideas, collaborations, and works.
A bonsai is the meeting point of Nature and man, where the wild and the hand become one work of art.
Available for styling, design commissions, and workshops.