Flower Forever • FOR THE 
LOVE OF BEADED FLOWERS
Everlasting blooms

Flower Forever

Floral bead craft from France and Venice

So-called French beaded flowers has been Georg Ragnar Levi's collecting passion for over thirty years. As the proud owner of over 1,200 newly commissioned or vintage blossoms, he now celebrates the traditional craft through books and evocative installations. 

Beaded flowers are traditionally made in memory of a person or special occasion, appearing through history at baptisms, weddings and funerals. 
• Exhibitions •

EXCEPTIONAL EXHIBITS

Glimmering glass beads can be threaded onto thin wire and shaped into flowers. This stunning historical handicraft is rooted in Venice and its famous Murano glass. The Levi collection of 1200+ antique and new glass beaded flowers from artisans all over the world has been shown in artful installations across Europe, from Venice to Stockholm. 

Södermalm, Stockholm (SE)

”Flora Eterna” (2023), at Benhuset, Stockholm, Sweden.

Bromma (SE)

”Floral Pieces” (2024), at the Art Cabinet in Äppelviken, Bromma, Sweden.

Ebeltoft (DK)

”Sow Flowers on Your Path” (2019), by invitation of the Glass Museum, Ebeltoft, Denmark, in its ”No Strings” exhibition.

Venice (IT)

”Flora in vitro” (2017), by invitation of The Venice Glass Week, at Palazzetto Bru Zane, San Polo, Venice, Italy.

Munich (DE)

”Blütenpracht” (2023) group exhibition, by invitation at Galerie Handwerk, the cultural establishment of the Chamber of Crafts for Munich and Upper Bavaria, Germany.

Djurgården, Stockholm (SE)

”Blomma för evigt” (2016) at the Thielska Galleriet, Djurgården, Stockholm, Sweden.

• Books •

STRIKING STORIES

”Flora ad infinitum” is a unique and lavishly illustrated book, published in five languages, telling the fascinating story of how so-called French beaded flowers came to be both loved and despised, at times even banned. Expert reviewers call the book ”a feast of discovery”, ”dazzling” and ”heart-warming”. The author gracefully guides his readers through the history, techniques, materials, and personal stories behind the everlasting beauty of this historical craft.

Deutscher Kunstverlag / DeGruyter

In English & French (2023)

Updated bilingual edition to be released autumn 2023.

Deutscher Kunstverlag / DeGruyter

In German & Italian (2021)

Bilingual edition for German and Italian readers.

Bokförlaget Langenskiöld 

In Swedish (out of print)

First Swedish edition.

Bokförlaget Langenskiöld 

In English (out of print)

First edition in English.

UNESCO World Heritage

On December 17, 2020, Venetian glass beads were officially inscribed as an immaterial cultural heritage of the world by UNESCO.

World of Interiors feature

One of the most influential interior design magazines, World of Interiors, featured the collection and Flora ad infinitum in its anniversary issue in December 2021, referring to the book as ”dazzling”.

ABOUT

Georg Ragnar Levi

author, designer, collector

Born in Solna, Sweden. Author, collector and versatile designer based in Stockholm, Sweden.

  • author

    editor and author of numerous articles and books in Swedish and English on critical thinking, evidence-based clinical practice and the history of beaded flowers

  • designer

    creator of artful floral installations, silver jewellery, book illustrations, and stage design

  • collector

    internationally renowned collection of beaded flowers, featured in design magazines like World of Interiors and Neues Glas

french beaded flowers