Meet the Goulburn Bear with a passion for the Japanese floral art of Ikebana, Alexander Evans.

Picture above credits and in most of the sections of this article: Dylan Hodgon – HDG Photography

Alexander Evans is an Australian ikebana enthusiast and teacher behind HanaKuma Ikebana, where he shares the Japanese art of floral arrangement with students and audiences across Australia and beyond. He is officially accredited by the Sogetsu School of Ikebana in Tokyo and has taught and demonstrated at venues across Australian states and internationally.

Raised in Melbourne, Alexander has since lived and worked in Brisbane (where he met his hubby, George), Sydney (NSW), and Canberra (ACT), before he and his husbear settled in Goulburn, NSW, later on, where he continues to teach and promote ikebana. Through his business, website, and social media presence, he presents ikebana as an accessible creative practice for people of all ages and abilities.

He is the face of HanaKuma Ikebana and is known for combining traditional technique with a welcoming, contemporary approach to floral art. Outside his artistic practice, he shares his life with his husband, George, and continues to build a strong community connection through workshops, exhibitions, and online platforms.

Luka Musicki (L.M.): Hi Alex, it was nice to see you at the recent 2026 Mardi Gras period at the Harbour City Bears event at the King Cross Hotel, and thanks for agreeing to be part of this interview. How have you been lately – last time we spoke was like 2-3 years ago, right?

Alexander Evans (A.E.): It has indeed been quite a while. I’ve been keeping busy with getting a new house built and moved into, as well as designing and planting the garden with my hubby George (with a little help from a local landscaping contractor). Add to that getting my creative spaces set up and running, along with actually having a social life, so it’s been quite a pretty busy time. 

L.M.: So tell us about your life growing up. When did you join the gay community and then the bear community?

A.E.: For context, growing up was in outer suburban Melbourne in the 70’s and 80’s, so anyone who knows the life of a Gen X kid will have a fair understanding of what that was like. I had an older brother who was, frankly, a bully, a working dad who wasn’t very present and a mum who worked part-time. Things were not easy, but that was pretty normal for the time, and the other people in the neighbourhood had things pretty much the same as I did. However, a big factor at the time of my early teens was the discovery of HIV and the impact of AIDS on society broadly and, more specifically, on the gay community.

At 14 years old, I was still a pretty naive kid until a situation happened with an older friend who was 16 at the time. It’s a difficult thing to think back on, as it wasn’t exactly a consensual situation for me, and that took a long time to process. Dealing with being a victim but also facing guilt over the fact that as a sexual awakening, (even a non-consenting one) it brought with it the realisation that I was turned on by men.

At age 14 it was something I had no emotional or mental tools to deal with, and the 2 years that followed were truly fraught. The real crunch came when at 16 I faced up to being gay. For me it really was a case of either shuffle off my mortal coil or embrace my truth as a gay man. That was doubly challenging in the 1980’s as it was the height of the “Grim Reaper” ad campaign about the dangers of HIV and AIDS and people were genuinely scared, not only in the gay community and in society broadly. Little of the medical science was known and for most average people the thought was that if you were gay, you were going to get aids and die. Coming out in that social climate was incredibly challenging. I remember my mum doing a lot of crying and saying “…you’re only 16, you don’t know the world. You need to go and live life and come back and talk about it when you’re older”, so much to her genuine surprise I did go out and live life.

It was before the internet (yes, I’m an old) and the only way to meet people (for a 16-year-old) was either through cruising, through mutual friends or by posting a social advert in the gay classifieds, or if you were really bold you might be able to sneak your way into a gay bar or club. Fortunately Melbourne had a gay publication at the time called “Outrage” which in hindsight was pretty progressive and amazing – it also had a classified section. So, I started meeting men, I also found out about a gay youth group called “Victorian Network” which was for young LGBTQIA+ folk and had a focus on social connection and informing about good sexual health, safe sex and getting tested regularly. And the rest as they say is history.

Once I discovered the gay scene through social connections and going out to bars and clubs, I realised that there were a number of “types” among gay men. I didn’t really fit with the twinks as I was never particularly slim and the kinds of men I was attracted to had more stereotypically masculine features. They had beards, body hair, were either chunky or muscly, and generally just seemed happy being themselves rather than being performatively campy. With that realisation, I tended to gravitate more towards bear-ish guys and eventually discovered my “comfy” place with the bears.

L.M.: How did you get into Ikebana, and why is it so special, like, is it about focusing on minimalism and harmony between nature and humanity? 

A.E.: My journey to Ikebana really starts with a different art form entirely. Early on, as a kid, I was not a patient child. If things didn’t go my way, there was often a little temper tantrum, which was not ideal. My mum decided she needed to do something about that, and with the knowledge that I was both artsy and stubborn, she found a book on origami. Which I found both fascinating and frustrating because many of the projects were quite difficult. I would try, I would struggle, I would fail, I would get upset, but ultimately, I would keep on trying until I got it figured out.

Eventually, I grew to really enjoy it, and that experience was the beginning that built a fascination for me about traditional Japanese arts and crafts, as well as everything that went along with it. This was how I became a Japanophile – someone who is interested in and enjoys many aspects of Japanese culture. Ikebana was naturally part of this exploration of culture and tradition. Eventually, I was fortunate to find a qualified teacher at a time in my life when I had the time and resources to take lessons, and I’m still taking lessons to this very day, some 12 years later.

L.M.: Let’s talk about your lovely husband, George Brennan. When and how did you two meet? I think you mentioned it was in your 20s and for him in his 40s, something like this, right? And when did you two get married? And how have you two keep together, what is spark?

A.E.: I met George in Brisbane in the early(ish) days of the internet. Mobile phones were not smart, and apps weren’t even thought of yet; the very first iPhone was still years away. I was 26 at the time, and George was soon to turn 40. We had been chatting on a website. I had been going through a bit of a rough time with some of the guys I had been involved with, and I was getting ready to move to Sydney again. But I was bored and thought I’d get on and see if there is anyone to chat with, but if all they want to talk about is sexual stuff, then I’m off. Anyways, I got to chatting with this fellow who seemed interested in art and architecture and movies and all sorts of more interesting things than just sex… so we organised to go see a movie together. That was January 1999, and we are still together now. Not without having gone over a few speed bumps along the way. No relationship is perfect, but whenever we ran into difficulty, we were both determined to sort it out and not give up on what we had.

L.M.: And tell us about your lovely puppy dogs. What are their names and breeds? 

A.E.: We have 2 doggos, A Shi-tzu x Spaniel called Carlyle and a Havanese (similar to a Bishon) called Hana (Hana is Japanese for flower). Both are pretty small but mostly friendly and chill once introduced. If I’m at home, they’ll be close by, keeping me company.

L.M.: So you recently moved from Murrumbateman, NSW (wine country in regional NSW) to another part of regional NSW, Goulburn. Do you think the move helped you pursue your passion for Ikebana and be closer to Sydney?  

A.E.: There were a few reasons for the move. A smaller block of land was one, we were previously on 2 acres without town water or sewer, so we were reliant on tank water and septic enviro-cycle for waste processing. We both love our gardens, and not having town water in a time of climate change, and overall warming was just too hard. Also, I’m 53 now, and George is in has 60’s, Goulburn has better and more easily accessible facilities in terms of general amenity as well as a hospital, etc., while still being accessible to both Sydney and Canberra via highways that are comparatively easy driving. For us, the move made sense.

Photo credits: Dylan Hodgon – HDG Photography

L.M.: And you are one of the few people that I have interviewed who is polyamorous. So what does this mean? What are the myths that you would like to debunk, and what are the benefits?

A.E.: Polyamory is a big topic lol. In a nutshell, though, it means that I’m open to having more than one partner and that the connection with those partners can be physical as well as emotional/romantic, and it might be an ongoing relationship rather than just a once-off encounter. That being said, though, there are about as many different ways to do Polyamory as there are people doing it, so I’m not going to be in the business of telling people do this or don’t do that, but I will explain what it looks like for me/us. 

I am attracted to lots of different guys for lots of different reasons, and I think it would be perhaps a little unrealistic to expect just one person to “tick all my boxes”, so to speak. I’m also a bit kinky in some ways. George is a wonderful and supportive hubby, but kink is not his jam. So rather than him feeling pressured to do things he isn’t into, or me feeling like I’m in some way unfulfilled, we agree that it’s ok for me to enjoy that exploration and part of my life with someone else or possibly with multiple someones. The other thing is that I prefer to have a connection with someone I’m being intimate with, it makes it a more powerful experience for me as well as being a way to look out for my personal safety. (I have had friends have some pretty traumatic experiences in “anonymous” situations.) So building connection is what works best for me if I want to explore kink or do things that aren’t of interest to George. He has no doubts that I continue loving him and that we will always be there for each other, and so there is no need for fear or jealousy.

Typically, we aim to make sure everyone’s needs are being met and that we are all working towards everyone involved in our current poly configuration being as happy and as fulfilled as possible. We talk, we negotiate, we look for ways to help each other to be happy. Sometimes that puts us in the same place together, and other times it means one of us is smiling, knowing that the other is happy being with a different partner in that particular moment, and that their happiness in that situation is worth feeling good about. 

L.M.: Would you say being a bear has helped or hindered your career? Is your audience primarily bears for work and life?

A.E.: It is, what it is… It’s hard to say if it’s hindered or helped. I live my life as openly, honestly and authentically as I can. That means I don’t curate myself for an “audience” per se. I mean, I hope the bears I meet enjoy my company as much as I enjoy theirs, but at the same time, I have the same hope with all my friends, gay, straight, bear, twink, trans, queer, bi, lesbian, everyone. I just be myself, most of my friends seem to be ok with this.  

L.M.: Is there any advice that you would give someone (like a bear) who would be interested in doing Ikebana, and what is involved?

A.E.: Ikebana is for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a bear in your 30’s, a 90-year-old lady or a 12-year-old non-binary person. Ikebana really is for everyone; all you need to do is find a teacher who has a space in their class. You can start at any age so long as you can hold a hassami (japanese scissors) you’re good to go. As a qualified teacher, I’ve had students who are former night club bouncers, floristry students, teachers, carpenters, tattoo artists, stay-at-home mums, government workers, potters, people with all sorts of backgrounds, and every single one has been very much welcome in my ikebana class.

L.M.: What are your career goals for the future?

A.E.: One day, I would like to teach a class in the Sogetsu Ikebana Headquarters Building in Tokyo. I have a few more certificates to go before I can even be considered for that but I’m definitely working on that as we speak!

L.M.: Is there anything else that you would like to add in that I have missed?

A.E.: A few things I try to live by, these probably seem a bit cliché, but even so, I find them still important in getting on in the world:

• 1 Treat others as you would like to be treated.

• 2 Kindness costs you nothing.

• 3 Try to see things from another perspective; there could be something you’re missing.

• 4 Respect for all should be the default; it can be earned, it can be lost, but at the very least, it’s where we should all start.

L.M.: Thanks, Alex, for your time in answering the main interview questions. Now it is time for the quick-fire questions.

• Location: Goulburn
• Pronouns: He/Him
• Relationship status: Poly
• Favourite Drink: Many
• What type of guy are you into? Guys who are confident and relaxed in themselves
• Favourite Cities/Vacation Spots: Japan
• Favourite Hobby or Pastime: Ikebana
• Idea of a good date? A nice setting, good food & drinks, great conversation, smooth moves, kisses, long, slow, sensual playfulness interspersed with more “energetic” intimacy. Waking up together to a calm, quiet time and great coffee.
• What do you look for in a guy? Kindness, honesty, ethics, a ready smile, eyes to drown in, a hot, sexy body, and a large… It’s also good if they can hold an engaging conversation. 
• Where can you find yourself?
  • Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/AlexanderEvans72
  • Facebook (Business): https://www.facebook.com/hanakumaikebana
  • Instagram: www.instagram.com/alexander.evans.ace
  • Website: www.hanakuma-ikebana.com

Support Bear World Magazine – Donations and Subscriptions:

If you loved reading this article, and you want to help keep the magazine going, please donate to us with a monthly donation, click here Support Bear World Magazine – Bear World Magazine. And subscribe as well.