Beauty Meets Creativity with the Ikenobo Ikebana Japanese Floral Art Show at Sherway Gardens September 17, 2010

Experience a traditional Japanese art form as Sherway Gardens (Hwy 427 & the QEW) presents the 12th Annual Ikenobo Ikebana – Japanese Floral Art Show on Saturday, September 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, September 19 from 11am to 6pm in Sherway Square. For additional information call 416-621-1070, or visit www.sherwaygardens.ca.

Get inspired by the ancient Japanese art of floral arrangements, as experts from the school of Ikebana provide hands on teaching for people interested in learning how to construct artistic floral arrangements. Visitors can also check out the many interesting and intricate arrangements from traditional to modern styles that 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. “Immerse yourself in the centuries old tradition at Sherway Gardens and learn how to make your own piece of Japanese inspired art during the daily expert demonstrations.”

Ikenobo Ikebana Demonstrations:
Saturday, September 18, 2010 1:00pm and 3:00pm
Sunday, September 19, 2010 2:00 pm

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 at each session.

Using branches, leaves and any 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 and the structure of the arrangement itself creates three points – Shoka – that symbolize heaven, earth and humankind. Most trees and flowers are underlined with specific meanings.

The simple and subtle lines of this ancient floral art add a touch of elegance and Zen to any décor. Ikebana is also referred to as “kodo bana," or the "way of flowers" and promotes inner harmony and patience. This can be attributed to both the sensation associated with arranging beautiful flowers and creating unique designs for personal enjoyment. Given the highly stressful society most people endure, Ikebana offers an escape from a busy lifestyle and an outlet to exercise creativity.

"The goal is to get to the stage where your Ikebana designs are completely personalized, which is really a work of art,” says Wu. "Regardless of your style the guiding principles are always simplicity and elegance.”

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