Introduction

Best Coast Bonsai is founded by Tom Ulecki, a bonsai professional based out of Vancouver, Canada. Tom first became interested in bonsai after conducting a workshop at the International School of Bonsai at Kouka-en, Osaka, Japan. There he learned some of the basics of bonsai styling and care from his teacher Naoki Maeoka. Fast forward a year, an invitation to apprentice at Kouka-en is both sent out and accepted. Naoki Maeoka becomes his Senpai, and Fujikawa-san his Oyakata.

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship at Kouka-en begins like most others, with weeding. It quickly moves to proper watering of the bonsai. First with supervision, but soon without. Like most other nurseries, general labour and maintenance of the nursery are paramount, time is spent carrying trees, typhoon preparation, clean up, customer service and watering. Fortunately, at Kouka-en, wiring and styling begin early on, giving the apprentice lot of opportunity to develop these skills. Exhibition preparation, buying trips, auctions and re-potting are also parts of the job. Working under Naoki Maeoka is extremely rewarding and fun. Days off are sparse, but izakayas are not.

Present

Tom currently resides in Vancouver, Canada, where he runs Best Coast Bonsai. He is always gathering bonsai for sale, growing his own collection, sculpting bonsai pots, and semiannually travelling to Osaka to hone his bonsai skills with Naoki Maeoka. Additionally, Tom is a visual artist under the pseudonym ‘notanautomatom’ where he paints and illustrates out of his home studio. His portfolio can be seen online here.