In Conversation With Yunus Karma

What’s it like working with materials such as marble and silver? What kind of process is it?

I’ve always been moved by the strength of marble, born from the earth. (Marble is the earth’s power…) When its surface, both cold and warm at once, meets silver and flowers, it becomes a composition that feels strong, balanced, and complete.

How did you design the experience for Minval’s New Year's invitation?

For this event, we wanted to build a world that carries the New Year spirit of December, one where Minval’s designs take the lead. We paired timeless reds and deep burgundy tones with brown. While creating an atmosphere where guests could feel the care in every detail, we designed installations by combining flower varieties they may not encounter often with seasonal fruits like chestnuts and pomegranates.

Which plants or flowers do you think pair especially well with marble?

I find Jatropha and Heliconia particularly complementary.

About Jatropha

Jatropha is native from southern Mexico to Nicaragua, thriving in seasonally dry tropical climates. Its bottle-shaped, knobbly caudex and upward-reaching leaves, topped with orange-red flower clusters, bring a durable, sculptural accent to a space. Against marble, it reads as a confident single-vase statement; just note that its milky sap can irritate sensitive skin, so in homes with kids or pets, it’s best placed where contact is unlikely.

About Heliconia

The genus Heliconia spans a tropical belt from Mexico to Tropical America and from Central Malesia to the SW Pacific; Heliconia rostrata is native to western South America and feels most at home in wet tropical conditions. Rather than carrying one “official” meaning, it delivers a clear mood in a room, tropical energy, boldness, and a touch of stage presence, instantly defining the focal point. Its drama lives in the colorful bracts (often nicknamed “lobster claws”); in large arrangements, it becomes the backbone of the composition, and as a cut flower, it can hold its form for weeks.