Akemi – Page 33 – I Love Ikebana

May 28, 2018June 7, 2018

What is the Similarity between Ikebana and Jazz

Many thanks to those of you who came to my Ikebana demonstration at Seattle Art Museum yesterday! I hope you enjoyed the six arrangements with different flowers, containers, theme, and styles. Which one was your favorite?

For the preparation of this demo, I thought through the combination of the materials and the container, made drawings of each arrangement, and contemplated the order of the arrangements. Then I trimmed the materials a bit so that I can avoid spending too much time prepping the materials in front of the audience.

On the stage beforehand, I situated all the six containers and the materials according to the order of my planned arrangements. I was prepared as much as possible.

Then the demo started…

No matter how much you prepare, you can never expect things will flow as you expected. Rather, once you have started, it’s as if you have forgotten everything you had prepared before and face each moment with totally fresh mind. You don’t rely on your brain or mind, but you follow your eyes and your hands to move. What you create may be nothing like you had imagined before. And that is OK.

“Maybe it’s like jazz musicians doing improv session on the stage,” I thought, while I was taking down all the arrangements after the demo. Next time I do an Ikebana demo, I would like to pursue this idea further.

May 24, 2018June 13, 2018

How Meditative is Ikebana

Whether at a museum like Seattle Art Museum or at an event like Cherry Blossom Festival, it is delightful to see beautiful Ikebana arrangements lined up.

Usually there is a sign in front of the arrangement, indicating which Ikebana school the artist belongs to. Some of the work is so traditional that you can clearly identify which school. Others are more free style and not so distinct. Some are small and simple, others are large and gorgeous. While you walk through browsing each one of them, you find yourself becoming an Ikebana critique, murmuring “Oh, I like this one.” Or “Wow, I’ve never thought of combining these two flowers.”

The main reason why we host Ikebana exhibitions like the one held this weekend at SAM, no doubt, is to share the beauty of Ikebana with many people. If people enjoy themselves, we are so happy.

But do you know who benefits most from Ikebana?

The very person who made the arrangement!

You select a container and the flowers. The order depends upon the person or the situation. The peony in your backyard is full bloom so you would like to use it, so you look for a container that goes well with it. Or you newly purchased a nice container and you would like to create something using it. For whatever the reason, you made a selection.

Then you sit in front of the material. You clean the branch, hold it vertical, horizontally, or slanting. You bring it forward, or backward. In relation to the container, which line looks most beautiful? Most striking?

Once you selected the direction, then you contemplate the length of the material. How long? How short? How think? You add another material, and another, and another…..

Sometimes you create something exactly what you imagined beforehand. But often times you end up encountering what you have never imagined before. What a nice surprise!

The whole process of arranging flowers is, just meditative.

May 12, 2018May 12, 2018