Pius NOTTER

Tony Tickle As a pioneer, Pius Notter has put his mark on, not only the Swiss, but also the European Bonsai activities as a whole.
Since more than 30 years he is organizing exhibitions, workshops and seminars. The biggest exhibition and congress he organised was the European Bonsai congress 2001 in Switzerland. He has written nine different books about Bonsai and Suiseki as well. Some of them are translated into several languages.

For more then 15 years he was invited as a headliner demonstrator all over the world and he was the most sought after speakers and workshop leaders. He was invited also from many TV stations all over the world and in 2008 even the biggest Japanese TV produced a film about Pius Notter's work for Bonsai and Japanese garden design.

He also helped to found the European Bonsai Association (EBA) and also the World Bonsai Friendship Federation (WBFF).
Beside 10 years' service for the Swiss national bonsai association as the President he was elected also for 5 years as the President for EBA and for another 5 years as the director for Europe in WBFF. For 12 years he was a member of the BCI board in the USA. For his service and help, he was honoured as a gold member of BCI.

In 1994 he also got the photographer and writers award in the USA for his books and many articles in magazines in west and east as well.

One of the biggest highlights was in the year 2000 when he won the first price on the World Bonsai Contest in Japan. He was the first bonsai designer and until today still the only one from the western, who won this price.

With the same tree, a Pinus mugo, he also won the European selection as the best tree of Europe to be printed on a stamp in San Marino.

His private weekend seminars and a special workshop program are the most successful events in Europe. Since already 30 years these courses are always booked out and more than 1000 trees has been styled on his place. Many of them have been winners on many different exhibitions. A lot of his students have already their own school or workshop programs.

All the famous Bonsai of Pius Notter can still be seen in his private garden in Boswil, Switzerland. 2011 he opened the biggest Stone, Suiseki and Mineral museum in Europe. Several hundred stones can be seen in vitrines with a fantastic light. A visit is only possible by appointment (www.swiss-bonsai.ch / mail@swiss-bonsai.ch).