Enrique Castaño de la Serna

Enrique Castano as a second-generation bonsai artist was introduced to Bonsai and the horticultural world at an early age. His love for nature led to his studies in biology, and he subsequently received a PhD in Biochemistry and Biophysics from the University of Rochester (NY) in 1997. He has done post-doctoral in Harvard and MCRI in England. He currently is a professor at the plant research center in Merida with over 50 index research publications and uses his educational background to promote Bonsai in the world. Sharing his knowledge in bonsai from aesthetics, philosophy and science. He teaches and gives demonstrations in various locations around the world (China, Taiwan, UK, USA, Czech Republic, Mexico, Lithuania). Has written several articles for various magazines. BCI, Bonsai Today, Bonsai Focus, American Bonsai, International Bonsai. His trees were selected by The World Bonsai Friendship Federation and the BCI selected Bonsai on different years. He has also won various prizes including the John Naka award, Chase Rosade Award, Mexico best design award, Awards by FELAB, Gold and silver medals in bonsai olympics of WBFF, 3rd prize; the Isamel Saleh Bonsai Photo Contest, Gold Award Penjing in China, the WBFF Chairman Emeritus award. He was part of the editors of Art of Bonsai and Knowledge of Bonsai. In 2010 he was the chairman for FELAB and has organize several regional events since then. The last event was the first shohin bonsai exhibition in Merida 2017. His book “Botany for Bonsai: The Science Behind the Art,” serves as a building block for Bonsai horticulture. Recently has done demonstrations in the US National bonsai event 2016, ABS National 2019, Czech Rep. Botanical garden 2019, Lithuania bonsai exhibition 2019, BCI China 2019 and Golden State California 2019.

Has been director in BCI and ABS and he is currently President of FELAB and director of Latin American region for WBFF

He has done several demos and exhibitions and awards some include 1996 Exhibition in Rochester NY

2003-2015 Demonstrations in the annual exhibition of tropical bonsai Merida Yucatan

2002-2014 Demonstrations in Merida, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Veracruz, Tijuana, Czech Rep, UK, Lithuania, US.

2002- Present Teaching Bonsai In Mexico

2005 Selected in the international winner by WBF

2006 Selected award for the best bonsai in Mexico.

2006 Jan-March Publication by BCI for one of the 100 best in the world

2006 Gold award penjing award

2006 Selected trees by the Art of Bonsai Project international gallery

2006 Demonstrator at Czech Bonsai Association

2007 Book Publish “Botany for Bonsai: The Science Behind the Art”

2007 Started Blog at Knowledge of bonsai art

2007 Second runner up in ABFF INTERNATIONAL BONSAI PHOTO CONTEST - ISMAIL SALEH TROPHY

2008 Editor for Knowledge of Bonsai Art

2008 Editor for Art of Bonsai Project.

2005-2014 Several articles have been publish in different bonsai journals.

2008-2010 Judge for Certre

2008 Demonstrator at Czech Bonsai Association international event, Czech R.

2009-present ABS Board member

2009 FEMEXBO Board member

2009 Judge at Union Bonsai Italia (UBI), Italy

2009 Winner of Gold and Silver medals in Puerto Rico WBFF

2010 Winner of John Naka award

2010 Chairman of FELAB event in Mexico

2010 International selection by BCI

2010 Award by the WBFF

2010 Chase Rosade Award

2011 Teacher at ABS-BCI, USA.

2012 Winner of the international design by ofbonsai contest

2012 Demonstrator at Lithuania bonsai convention.

2013 Winner of broad leaf design by ofbonsai contest

2013 Winner of all round design by ofbonsai contest

2013 Teacher at ABS, NY, USA.

2013 Director of the Mexican Federation of Bonsai

2014 Headliners at BSF, Florida, USA

2014 Judge at Triennale Bonsai, Germany

2014 Selected bonsai for Gafuten

2014 Winner of the shohin design by Venezuela contest

2015 Headliners at CBA, Czech Rep.

2015 Selected bonsai for Gafuten

2016 Headliner at US National Bonsai, NY

2016 Winner of the shohin design by Cincobarracinco

2016 Second place in Venezuela photocontest overall.

2016 Demonstrator at FELAB, Puebla Mexico

2016 Headliner in Shangai, China

2017 Headliner in BCI, Taiwan

2018 Headliner in Texas

2018 Headliner in Lithuania

2018 Headliner in Poland

2019 Headliner in BCI, China

2019 Headliner in California, Riverside

2020 Headliner in Santa Cruz California

Massimo Bandera

Member of BCI, UBI, IBS, IBI, ESA, NBC, NBA, RHS, SKB, SBI, BCI Director

Massimo Bandera, born in 1967, lives and works between Italy and Spain and has dedicated his passion and professionalism to the world of Bonsai since 1978.

He has created a contemporary avant-garde path in his technical and artistic research, studying the arts and sciences in Italy and Japan. He has maintained a twenty-five-year cultural exchange with master Masahiko Kimura, the leading exponent of the avant-garde Bonsai.

Member of the Italian Botanical Society, in 1999, he was admitted to visit the collection of Bonsai of the Emperor of Japan, and in 2000 he founded his school, the Fuji Kyookai Bonsai avant-garde school, at the Fuji Sato Company. In 2002 he opened the Spanish section at the Bonsai Museum of Marbella, in 2010 in Majorca, and in 2018 in Malaga in the University Botanical Garden.

Winner of numerous awards in Italy, Spain, Japan, and the United States, he is a life member, instructor,ambassador, and director of Bonsai Club International. He is an instructor of the Italian association IBS, a member, and a UBI instructor. In 2007 his works were exhibited at Palazzo Bricherasio in Turin and the Fujiyohaku Congress exhibition in Nole and Marbella with the extraordinary participation of Master Masahiko Kimura at his school.

In 2002 he published the “Bonsai Encyclopedia” and in 2008, “Avant-garde Bonsai,” which collected the teachings of Japanese cultivation, technique, aesthetics, and culture.

Since the eighties, he has written in the leading magazines of the sector and the Corriere dell’arte in Turin. His articles are published in: Bonsai Italy, Italian Bonsai and Bonsai art and Nature, UBI Newsletter, Bonsai and Suiseki magazine in Italy, Bonsai Actual and native Bonsai in Spain, Esprit Bonsai in France, BCI Bonsai & Stone Appreciation magazine, Bonsai Sunjiu and Kindai Bonsai in Japan.

In April 2010, in San Marino, during the XIV Italian National Congress UBI, he was the first representative of the Belpaese to receive a State award, the Bonsai Award of the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities of the Italian Republic.

In 2015 he received the knightly title of Knight of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, and in 2019 the title of Commander of the Order itself.

Angelo Ferlita was born in 1999 in Santo Stefano Quisquina (Sicily).

At 16 years old he started his true path with “Siculamente Bonsai Club Avola” where he met his teacher Salvatore Liporace and took a training course based on theory and practice. During his journey at the Studio Botanico of his teacher he had the occasion to work on many different masterpieces and to collaborate with other students of the school.

Most recently, Angelo graduated from the Scienze Forestali ed Ambientali on March 16, 2023.

In 2017, during the U.B.I. Congress in Jesi, Angelo took part at a demonstration on a Phoenician juniper with his “Siculamente Bonsai Club Avola”.

The same year he joined the XIX Bonsai Coordinamento Piemonte-Lombardia Congress) as an assistan. At the demo he worked on a phoenician juniper together with Nicola Sorressa.

From 2017 to 2018; on two occasions he worked with teacher Naoki Maeoka where he improved his theory, especially his eye on styling and on the finishing touch.

Since 2017, he permanently collaborates with the bonsai nursery “ L’Ulivo” owned by Francesco Giammona; Angelo considers Francesco Giammona his true bonsai master.

Angelo, with the help of his master, studies and learns the growing and the management of bonsai. Focusing on Mediterranean species (Olive, Thyme, Myrtus, Cork Oak).

During their several excursions with his bonsai master he learned the “Yamadori” art.

During the IV Bonsai Coordinamento Marche Exhibition, at Garden Europa of Adriano Quercetti, he took part in  a lecture, with his master Giammona, on the Mediterranean species (bonsai) and the phytopatology notions.

He has visited many major European exhibitions (Trophy in Belgium, U.B.I. – I.B.S. Congress in Italy, European Bonsai San Show Saulieu in France) to increase his knowledge.

Nowadays, Angelo helps and follows bonsai lovers of his area and tries to spread the bonsai art.

Since 2020 he manages the sales on the bonsai website: www.ferlitabonsai.com .