| It is said that the practice of flower arranging was | | | | manifested itself from an early age. When I was in |
| originally used in Japan to pay tribute to the gods, | | | | elementary school, I remember frequently picking up |
| and the floral arrangements were therefore | | | | flowers from our garden in the morning, wrapping |
| considered sacred. In Japan, historical records | | | | them in a newspaper and taking them to school, |
| documenting the appearance of traditional flower | | | | where I would use them to decorate our classroom. |
| arrangements date back to about 500 years ago. It | | | | This was something that I did spontaneously, and it |
| was in the seventeenth century that followers of | | | | gave me so much joy! |
| this new form of artistic expression started creating | | | | When I learned Ikebana as an adult, I was really |
| the rules leading to the formation of what would | | | | fortunate to have had an old-fashioned sensei |
| eventually become the disciplinary art that is now | | | | (instructor) who not only taught me the theory and |
| known as Ikebana. The diversity of forms and | | | | techniques, but also immersed me in the respectable |
| methods that were developed over time made | | | | manners and ways of the good old days. It is |
| Ikebana a much more sophisticated form of art. In | | | | through my sensei that I learned that Ikebana goes |
| the end, Ikebana has become a discipline where the | | | | beyond the typical art form, and that it is more of a |
| stage for the artistic expression is set by the | | | | way of life; in fact, Ikebana is also known as kado, |
| harmony achieved through the combination of natural | | | | which literally means "the way of the flower." |
| materials (flowers, stems and branches), the | | | | It was much later in my life that I came to the |
| container, and the lines and forms that characterize | | | | United States. Being fond of arts and crafts, I soon |
| the art of Japanese flower arrangement. | | | | made my way to many specialty stores, where I |
| Western style arrangements typically consist of a | | | | discovered, with great amazement, the quality and |
| free form assemblage of flowers in a container. In | | | | variety of silk flowers. There were so many and |
| contrast, Ikebana is more of a disciplined form of art, | | | | they looked so lifelike! I also noticed that many |
| governed by well-defined rules, principles and | | | | people here used silk flower arrangements to |
| techniques. For example, certain precepts regulate | | | | decorate their living and working spaces. At first, the |
| elements like the light and the shadows. There is also | | | | notion of using silk flowers instead of real ones was |
| what is known as the three points of balance - | | | | odd to me and I resisted it. But that changed after |
| shin-fuku-tai in Japanese - which symbolize man, | | | | seeing the quality and vividness of silk flowers, and |
| heaven and earth, respectively, and that have to be | | | | realizing the practicality of long-lasting, low |
| in harmonious equilibrium in order to give true life to | | | | maintenance flower arrangements. This lead me to |
| an Ikebana flower arrangement. This and the fact | | | | the idea of using silk flowers to create |
| that stems and branches are used in addition to | | | | Ikebana-inspired flower arrangements. |
| flowers, are perhaps the most obvious differences | | | | Faithful to the Ikebana principles of minimalism, I |
| with western-style flower arrangement. | | | | compose my floral designs with few flowers. The |
| I have noticed that western style gardens - such as | | | | reasoning behind minimalism is based on the fact that |
| those seen in big castles, for example - characterize | | | | leaves and stems are better suited to express the |
| themselves by man-made forms that generally follow | | | | three points (man, heaven and earth) that govern an |
| symmetric patterns. In contrast, Japanese gardens, | | | | Ikebana composition. Depending on the place where |
| while also man-made, always try to recreate lifelike | | | | the arrangement will be used and the season, I may |
| landscapes, by using not only botanical elements but | | | | use a single gorgeous flower, which can be very |
| also water, gravel, rocks and other natural | | | | effective in creating a pleasant aesthetic impression. |
| components. In a similar manner, when compared to | | | | But the focus of my arrangements is to recreate |
| western floral arrangements, Ikebana compositions | | | | nature. So, as a rule of thumb, I tend to keep my |
| also have a stronger emphasis in reproducing natural | | | | compositions rather simple. As in Ikebana, simplicity |
| settings. | | | | and minimalism are at the heart of my designs. |
| Ikebana flower designs tend to be minimalistic; the | | | | The utmost importance in an arrangement is the |
| key to achieving their distinguished beauty is not in | | | | overall harmony and balance. It is possible to combine |
| any particular single component, but rather the | | | | two or more flowers in one floral design, but in this |
| balance between all of them. The key is finding a | | | | case choosing flowers that are compatible with each |
| harmonic balance between all the elements of | | | | other is of utmost importance. In other words, the |
| expression (the container and the flowers, stalks and | | | | key to a well-balanced arrangement is to choose |
| leaves), their characteristics (such as color, texture, | | | | flowers that can strengthen the beauty of each |
| form and the season they represent) and the space | | | | other. What's important to getting the most out of |
| where the flower arrangement is expected to be | | | | the components of an arrangement is the harmony |
| used. | | | | between the floral material and the container, as well |
| My Personal Journey to the Way of the Flower | | | | as the overall balance. No matter how beautiful a |
| I am a native of Shikoku, the smallest and less | | | | flower may be on its own, if it does not harmonize |
| populated of the four main islands that comprise the | | | | with the rest of the material, the balance is lost and |
| Japanese archipelago. I was born and raised in what | | | | the beauty of the flower is wasted. |
| was then known as Iyomishima, a small town located | | | | Etymologically, the origins of the name Ikebana |
| between a backdrop of beautiful mountains and the | | | | comes from two Japanese words: ikeru, which |
| Seto Inland Sea, the waters that separate Shikoku | | | | means to give or conserve life, and hana, which |
| from Honshu, the main island of Japan. Without a | | | | translates as flower. There is an old Japanese saying |
| doubt, the rich natural settings that I enjoyed at my | | | | relating to Japanese flower arrangement that goes |
| birthplace throughout my childhood and youth, had a | | | | kokoro wo ikeru, which literally means to give life to |
| profound effect in how my sensitivities for nature | | | | your heart. In all cultures, nature has always been an |
| and art developed over time, and to this date. | | | | essential source for healing of the soul. In Japan, the |
| My parents house was a traditional home that had | | | | use of flowers to enrich the spirit has been part of |
| the typical Japanese garden in the back with various | | | | the culture since ancient times. By extension, Ikebana |
| different trees, plants and many seasonal flowers. I | | | | is also considered a form of artistic expression meant |
| grew up playing around our Japanese black pine, | | | | to enrich and heal the spirit. |
| Japanese plum, loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) and | | | | My arrangements cross-pollinate the oriental essence |
| pomegranate trees, all the while enjoying the azaleas, | | | | that I learned through the art of Ikebana with the |
| camellias and many other flowers that my father | | | | practicality that modern technology offers us in the |
| nurtured with so much love and dedication. I also | | | | form of lifelike silk flowers. So while I take strong |
| remember that we had flowers that were originally | | | | inspiration in the principles of harmony, methods and |
| introduced in Japan from foreign countries, such as | | | | the spirit of Ikebana for all my designs, it is the ample |
| Amaryllis (Belladonna Lily), roses, daisies, and dahlias. | | | | diversity of silk flowers that allows me to unleash my |
| So while our garden was very Japanese in style, I | | | | creativity in ways that I never thought were possible. |
| can now see how it was more like a display of | | | | Sort of a bridge between east and west, or the best |
| universal nature. | | | | of both worlds, if you will. |
| My love for nature, and particularly flowers, | | | | |