A Critical Discourse on the Philosophy of Bonsai and the Artistry of Laurent Darrieux–Cosmic Bonsai

It’s been another hiatus since my last article. It seems to be how things go these days. Never enough time for the things you want to do. I wanted to share my thoughts about Laurent Darrieux, namely his bonsai style dubbed “cosmic bonsai.” Laurent is an interesting character: he is seemingly a turned mad bonsai artist with strong global political views and a healthy appreciation for the post-apocalyptic, and all of this is wrapped in the guise of a sarcastic and humorous personality.

However, I say this to mean no offense—I believe Laurent is a very considered individual whose views, much like his bonsai, are shaped by real world and significant life experience. I preface this article to say that I am no expert in cosmic bonsai. I met Laurent last in late 2023 and have only recently dabbled in “cosmic” techniques the past year. But I believe my experience in bonsai is sufficient to give fair descriptors to Laurent’s work and philosophy. 

Elm by Benoit Fabrega in cosmic style

To better frame Laurent’s work, I thought first to describe the practice of bonsai—what it embodies and what we value. This will be a rather long segway, but please bear with me as it i’s pertinent to describing cosmic bonsai. Of course, we work with living plant material whether that be tree, shrub, or bush. We cultivate said material in some containerized environment. But “potted plant” isn’t quite an apt descriptor for the practice of bonsai. Beyond the literal cultivation of plant material in a pot, there’s a greater depth to the practice of bonsai. I’ve come to the realization in recent years, in its purest distillation, bonsai is the cultivation of time. As ambiguous or nondescript as that may feel, I cannot find a simpler way to define bonsai. We cultivate bonsai through years of careful consideration of branch technique, development, and perhaps inspiration from nature. In doing so, we impart a literal history or record of the work and intentionality from the artist/practitioner. There is a bit of variability in this result due to the entropic character of nature and the seasons, but for the trees that survive this great passage of time we gain the privilege to gaze upon old meandering branches, foliage that is well balanced and fine, and the presence of a seemingly free-standing entity—a guardian of the forest or perhaps lonely sentinel on a hill.  

Although the practice of bonsai did not originate in Japan nor do I feel that it is intrinsic to Japanese cultural values, the Japanese were the ones to pursue and describe deep philosophies that help explain bonsai as popularly recognized today. I’ve written about this in the past, but it is worthwhile to reiterate again. 

First, there is wabi-sabi, a philosophy that discusses transience of time and imperfection in the world. The former component wabi is perhaps an appreciation for simplicity, understated beauty and elegance, and natural imperfection. I think it is worthwhile to note that wabi is not necessarily something that is done explicitly, but the byproduct of some process. Examples of this may include functional ceramics, like bowls or tea ware made for the purpose of food or drink, but when made with only those considerations in mind may bear an uneven surface or random deformations. Of course, nature can have wabi. Think about old branches on a tree—driven by search for sunlight and influenced by the harshness of mother nature. These branches randomly meander and twist into different lines and shapes. In wabi, we appreciate these subdued, elegant, and often imperfect qualities found in nature or created items.

Sabi on the other hand, by literal definition, means rust. Sabi reflects the passage of time. It’s the patina on an old watch or set of tools. It can be the surface of a weathered stone pathway or the lichen and moss that clings to the bark of a tree. The passage of time is inevitable, and we accept its transience, and the effect age imparts as things of beauty and value.

Bonsai embodies wabi-sabi. First, as a living tree and a part of nature, there is an organic and variable aspect to how a tree grows and the resulting form—wabi.

Laurent’s work on scotts pine

Hibiscus Tiliaceus from Taiwan Hwa Fong Exhibition 2022

Second, as a living entity, bonsai bears the record of time. There is an imparted history that reflects the stressors, seasons, and work all the branches and tree experienced—sabi.  

Bonsai that have great spirituality, presence, quality, or character will have a deep expression of wabi-sabi. There is another phrase describing trees that best bear this quality—mochikomi. Trees bearing mochikomi have a “settled” appearance. They feel dignified, old, and often with the illusion that the tree, despite being heavily manipulated for many years, grew that way on its own. 

So how does this relate to cosmic bonsai? Laurent’s technique embodies the values of wabi-sabi through his original technique methodology. It seems very simple, but this is a great accomplishment. Frequently in the pursuit of a unique style or identity within bonsai we are led astray by more immediate or fast aesthetic gratifications. I don’t make light of these attempts either, because often the work has great technical accomplishments or very considered aesthetics to convey a feeling or inspiration from nature. The aspect of bonsai that makes it difficult to realize as an art is that trees are always growing. Thus, to realize an identity in a static form (in bonsai) is impossible and we must consider how our work parallels the tree’s growth, embodying wabi-sabi in the work.

Water color concepts from Herve Dora, photos taken from Laurent’s book with permission.

First drawing by Laurent.

To further give context, we can consider aspects of work within bonsai that lead to wabi-sabi and the mochikomi feeling. Trees that best exhibit these qualities have received work that was progressive, or very considered, toward long term goals. An analogy to this would be a violinist who repeated their first year of study for twenty years versus one who advanced every year. Although the effective time of study for both is twenty years, the latter could be performing concertos while the former is still a beginner musician. The same holds true for bonsai where the clarity and intentionality of your work needs some alignment with the future growth of the tree. 

For example, on well-developed deciduous bonsai (this is a big tip I am giving out here) there will be a great correlation between cutting interval and target silhouette size. In one of my previous writings, I discussed principles of building deciduous branches. If you grew your branching out to silhouette too quickly and were forced to cut the tree at silhouette many times, the branch ends would inevitably knuckle. 

This is because on average the majority of latent buds when cutting to silhouette emerge closer to the tips where sun is most prevalent. Repeated iterations of growth in the same region cause thickening, resulting in branching that is coarse, leggy, and too heavy on the ends. This forces you to a crossroad where you, one,  must cut back the branch ends resulting in wasted time (like repeating year one multiple times) or, two,  you compromise on your design and make a larger tree. The tree that is built successfully, with the greatest theoretical expression of age, will take advantage of the time aspect to iteratively build upon previous work each year.

Pomegranate from Takeyama, photo taken by Bastian Busch

Very mature branching with good time/age accrual in technique

 There is a sweet spot, however, as the human lifespan is finite. Theoretical cut iterations, when at a high level of branch density, will only expand a tree by a ¼ – ½ inch (about 1 cm) per year. This means if you want to make a huge tree, it could take fifty-plus years at that growth rate. Such results are possible and have possibly the greatest age expression, but often are multi-generational trees.

Trident maple from Aichi-en, Peter Tea bonsai blog

Ideally, you plan the progression of your technique together with the size scale and design of the tree—early stages may be faster but as you reach approach your target size you should be at a pure refinement stage where annual growth progressions are slow thus slowing the progression to where you need to cut back and restart branching. Cosmic bonsai develops in a way where it undergoes continuous development with no plateau of design or forced reconstruction. There is continuous work for as long as the tree is alive, and an infinite accrual of age. I’ll discuss this more in the next part.

If you made it this far, I thank you for your patience. I know this article is supposed to be about cosmic bonsai, but it was imperative to discuss these concepts first for me to frame Laurent’s technique and philosophy. We’ll focus on cosmic bonsai now. 

When first looking at cosmic bonsai, we are met with expansive and chaotic forms. There is some asynchronous rhythm at times—then lines with mathematical movement or iterations on the same tree. It is unlike popularized or commonly seen bonsai, where there are perhaps more common variations of an aesthetic repertoire. Cosmic bonsai is wholly unique in that every tree presents itself with a seemingly abstract form. But if you look past the shock of being presented with something new, there is further depth to be found in the work.

When we consider the construction of a “conventional” bonsai, they are built in components first with the roots, base, the trunkline, then to primary and secondary branch structure, eventually leading to the fine branching composing our silhouette and design. For such a tree, you eventually hit a natural plateau in development where the relative design doesn’t change much. At this point techniques are employed where we try to maintain the health, age, quality, and balance of the branching without compromising on the design. Inevitably, even for the oldest and most refined tree, we cannot escape the reality that trees are always growing. Thus at some point we are forced to restructure our bonsai—this is in the form of cut backs, grafting, redesign, main branch thinning, etc. 

Cosmic bonsai takes a unique approach where there is a protracted building phase in the trunkline and main branches. The trunkline and main branching tend to be the oldest parts of a tree. Work invested in these areas will be visually prominent, perhaps for the entirety of a tree’s life. Considering this, Laurent’s work uses an original technique. Branches are never cut (initially). Long branches are wired out with equally rhythmic and random movement. Invariably, when aggressively wiring a branch (especially for deciduous trees) the terminal tip is prone to weakening and the tree responds by sending a new latent bud at the tallest point of the bent branch. This new shoot is allowed to elongate, and the same process is repeated.

 In conifers, back budding and subsequent elongation is not as direct so preservation of tip health is very important. Conifers require a longer elongation and thickening period to set lignified lines that retain the branch movement. Laurent utilizes metal rods to maintain branch line and position after wire is removed. This buys additional time to allow for lignification.

 In theory, this work can be carried indefinitely (which Laurent actually suggests). Only for exhibition purposes, you will cut the branches two to three years prior and make fine tips on the branch structure that has been developed. Following exhibition, the branch tips can be cut and thinned, and the evolution/construction can resume. This work principle and philosophy creates a tree that has interest from all sides, and suggests to the practitioner that the tree should be in constant evolution. The tree is never finished and for as long as it lives, it can be progressed indefinitely. Additionally, because the building work is iterative and does not converge to a predetermined end goal, you are not forced into scenarios where the branches must be cut to maintain size scale or the tree significantly reworked to regain balance.

This is a very original conception within bonsai because Laurent deliberately chooses to keep a tree in perpetual development. There is constant work imparted via iterative wiring of new runners as well as shari/scarification techniques that build up the trunk lines. The result is a significant accretion of time dependent techniques to create a bonsai (while not aesthetically recognizable by conventional means) that embodies wabi-sabi. 

I believe Laurent’s approach both in the work philosophy as well as the statements he makes in his exhibits are a counterculture to much of the modern bonsai world. We value hyper efficacy and pursue results that look good in name and appearance. Consider the modern demo or instant bonsai approach where sometimes, we take a tree with insufficient branching or development and create a “finished” shape in one iteration. 

Although we’ve created a “bonsai” by appearance, this tree is wholly lacking in the depth and qualities that make bonsai unique. There is no cultivation of wabi-sabi nor pathway to developing mochikomi. The result is a bonsai that is very shallow that misses the point. Supposed proprietors of Japanese culture and patrons of Japanese bonsai end up advocating for and depicting a version of bonsai that is wholly less Japanese than the nebulous forms of cosmic bonsai.

The prior statements, however, should not feel like a criticism but liberating. The implication is that to fulfill the values unique to the utilization of living plant material, which philosophies are named and described in Japanese bonsai, we do not need to be bound to a fixed aesthetic form. There is discretion, depending on your intentionality and goals as the practitioner, to convey your artistry while still embodying the values of wabi-sabi and mochikomi. Laurent fulfills this in a more dramatic fashion, pairing such intentionality with displays that critique modern flaws of human society. 

Further notes:

Cosmic bonsai may be difficult to appreciate in the current traveling professional model, where on average there is a bias for “fast” work or styling to an immediate recognizable shape. This is impossible in cosmic bonsai, as the development of trees is an iterative process and seeks form beyond a superficial shape. The building process in which Laurent creates his trees also requires that the practitioner have good horticultural skill (more so than “conventional” bonsai). Additionally, when aggressively bending branches, the tree may respond by throwing out strong basal shoots which can weaken the worked branch. Trees seek the path of least resistance to grow, so a strongly contorted branch is not the ideal pathway. Ability to thin and balance the tree, such that it maintains vigor on desired branches in construction, is pertinent. 

This means that success in the cosmic bonsai form cannot be purely obtained through input and artistry from Laurent but is contingent on the awareness and ability of the receiving practitioner. Perhaps in a work model where people preferred to be wowed and receive “magic” work from the professional, cosmic bonsai can appear less attractive. This also implies that if you cannot already obtain success in bonsai within a “conventional” sense, a failure to achieve form in cosmic bonsai is not the fault of the professional but a lack of ability from the hobbyist. 

This seems very negative; however, I have deep and great appreciation for how considered Laurent’s technique is to the understated but fundamental tenets of bonsai. If you would like to push the boundaries in exploring an expression of wabi-sabi, as well as your horticultural ability as a practitioner, cosmic bonsai achieves this beautifully. Laurent is perhaps an atypical mind—deeply curious, a philosopher, and critical of the world. He can rub people the wrong way, but his expression of self is authentic and genuine. To be able to translate one’s identity and lived experience into an original and unique style is no easy feat, and is worthy of respect.

Laurent Darrieux biography (from Cosmic Bonsai book)

Began bonsai in 1987 with father Bernard Darrieux
Director of Bonsai Club of Aquitaine in Bordeaux 1995-2000
Award – Premio Olea (Spain) from Masahiko Kimura – 2003
Award – FFB 2005 congress (France) from Toru Suzuki – 2005
Award – EBA, European Bonsai Association (Lithuania) – 2012
Study in Taiwan – 2009-2018
– Min Hsuan Lo, Chen Jian Liang, Chen Cheng Kung, etc