Art
Karine Alice Brun
Plants and words
Karine Alice Brun is an herbalist and writer based in Nice. She works at the L'Herboristerie de l'Hôtel du Couvent, teaches at Fragonard, and is the author of the poetry book: La Percée. In our conversation, we discuss how she translates the subtle language of the living world, sharing it with others through observation and silence.
How would you describe what you do?
When people ask me what I do, I say that my work — maybe also my life — is about weaving intimate connections with the living world. By "living," I mean everything around us that carries a language: plants, trees, elements. My focus is mainly on medicinal and edible plants. I studied herbalism, naturopathy, subtle aromatherapy, and plant-based perfumery. I see myself as a kind of mediator, translating the sensitive language of the living world and sharing it through care, transmission, and guidance. My work is about listening, observing, and approaching things with humility, as if experiencing them for the first time.
What is the connection between people and plants?
There are different ways to understand this connection. You can approach it through science, but also through intuition, poetry, and the senses. We all have a non-verbal intelligence that comes from our senses, touch, smell, perception. For me, smell and emotion are essential. In French, we often say "I feel it" to describe intuition.
Plants speak through sensations, memories, and associations. When you connect with a plant, it can reveal something about how you relate to the world. My work is about helping people access that sensitivity, through observation, silence, and experience.
How did you start your journey?
I've had several lives. I first studied political science in Paris, then worked for the United Nations and NGOs, involved in education programs supporting women and communities. At that time, I wanted to change the world. Over time, that desire became more embodied and personal. A major turning point was my mother's illness — she had Alzheimer's, and seeing her lose connection with sensations and daily life deeply affected me. Cooking became a way to reconnect: with her, with myself, with life. From there, I trained in cuisine, worked with plants, and naturally returned to something more essential: nature, care, and the living world.
What excites you most about your current work and the future?
What excites me is that it's always evolving. There is no fixed form. I can explore different mediums — writing, scent, plants, experiences. It feels very alive. For the future, I don't have a fixed plan, but I'm excited to keep exploring and deepening this relationship with the living world, and to continue sharing it with others.
Are there any philosophies or approaches that inspire you?
I'm inspired by many things — poetry, philosophy, but also very simple ways of observing life. I'm interested in presence, in attention, in slowing down. Also in the idea of humility towards the living world, of not trying to control everything but to listen and learn.
What would you tell your younger self?
To trust life more. To understand that everything — difficult moments included — is part of the process. There are no real obstacles, only ingredients of life. And maybe also to live with more audacity. People think poetry is useless, but love is useless too — and yet it's essential.
Know more about Karine Alice Brun
Photography credits: Canal Street 55.
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