11th Annual Ikenobo Ikebana Japanese Floral Art Show at Sherway Gardens September 25, 2009

Discover a traditional Japanese art form as Sherway Gardens (Hwy 427 & the QEW) presents the 11th Annual Ikenobo Ikebana – Japanese Floral Art Show on Saturday, September 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, September 27 from 11am to 5pm in Sherway Square. For additional information call 416-621-1070, or visit www.sherwaygardens.ca.

Learn the ancient Japanese art of floral arrangement from experts in traditional Japanese dress from Ikenobo, the school of Ikebana who will be providing demonstrations and teaching some techniques for creating artistic floral arrangements. Many interesting and intricate arrangements ranging from traditional to modern styles will be on display at Sherway Gardens throughout the weekend.

“Ikenobo Ikebana is living art,” states Emily Wu, show organizer and senior professor of Ikenobo Ikebana. The 11th annual floral art show allows you to experience the centuries old tradition at Sherway Gardens and discover this ancient art form with daily demonstrations and tips on making your own artistic floral arrangements at home.

Ikenobo Ikebana Demonstrations:
Saturday, September 26 1:00pm and 3:00 pm
Sunday, September 27 2:00pm

The Living Art of Ikebana DVD, an easy-to-follow instructional DVD on how to create striking flower arrangements in the Japanese tradition will be available. This year, in celebration of the 11th anniversary of the floral art show at Sherway Gardens, CDs containing 37 floral arrangements will be given away with the purchase of over $20 on a first come first serve basis.

The simple and subtle lines of this ancient floral art add a touch of elegance and Zen to any décor. Using branches, leaves and any or seasonal flowers such as roses, orchids and camellia, Ikebana artists create floral arrangements that are intricate, yet uncomplicated. Ikebana is distinguished from other ornamental flower arrangements with its goal of creating asymmetrical harmony of line, form, texture and colour between plants and container. Details ranging from the placement of the vase and materials are taken into consideration when creating an arrangement.

Western culture tends to emphasize the amount of flowers and vast array of colours that fit inside a vase which places more attention on the beauty of the blossoms. Whereas, the Japanese emphasize the linear aspects of the arrangement by including the vase, stems, leaves, branches and the flowers.

The structure of the Japanese flower arrangement creates three points in one form of arrangement – Shoka – that symbolize heaven, earth and humankind. Seasonal variations are appreciated and the majority of trees and flowers are underlined with specific meanings.

The most common Ikebana flower arrangements are Rikka, Shoka, Nageire, Moribana, and Freestyle.
• Rikka is a classical arrangement that follows strict rules and uses special techniques such as wiring. Rikka Shofutai is a traditional and most formal style of Ikebana and has a distinctive character which expresses the beauty of natural landscape. Rikka Shimputai and Shoka Shimputai is a more modern style that was introduced recently and allows more expression from the arranger.
• Shoka styled arrangements express the feeling of life, growing energy and the natural beauty of the materials. Shoka Shofu Tai is the traditional take on this style, simplified from the traditional Rikka, and is designed primarily for tokonoma (a special alcove). Shoka Shofu Tai is the composition of the three main branches, shin, soe and tai, symbolize Man, Heaven and Earth respectively and represent the universe accompanied by the idea of In and Yo, or Shade and Light.
• Nageire dates back to an old form of Ikebana arrangement used in Japanese Tea ceremonies. The style of arrangment can be displayed upright, slanting or cascading.
• Moribana arrangements reflect natural shapes with the use of shallow containers and a holder called kenzan. The kenzan has sharp points to hold the flowers in place. The arrangement usually takes the shape of a triangle.
• Freestyle takes a much broader view of plants than moribana or nageire where the shape of the vase and materials used influence each other to create an intricate arrangement. Freestyle can be created to represent the environment or to reflect the personal feelings of the arranger.

Dating back over 500 years, this ancient tradition has been passed down from generation to generation. Approximately 15 million people practice the art of Ikebana. Although there are around 3,000 Ikebana schools all over the world, Ikenobo is one of the oldest and most prevalent schools throughout the globe and continues to develop traditional and modern styles of Ikebana.
Founded by Buddhist priest Ono no imoko (founder of Ikenobo and Japan’s first foreign envoy),
then passed on to Ikenobo Senkei in the 15th century, Ikenobo Ikebana is a school of Japanese floral art that expresses the beauty of nature. The Ikenobo school has been based in the Rokkakudo Temple in Kyoto Japan since the 15th century. The Ikenobo design was first used by the priests and the aristocrats, and is slightly more complex than other styles.
Ikenobo Ikebana has won many awards for best display from the Mississauga Arts Council during Arts Week. Emily Wu, the show organizer and senior professor of Ikenobo Ikebana, whose classic arrangements have won her a Civic award and were on display at the Toronto World Summit.

Official Website: http://www.sherwaygardens.ca