Monday 4 January 2010

Hidden Under the Snow

Some plant materials are incredible. In the middle of the winter the Bilberry plant is green and soft, hidden under the snow waiting for spring to come. In this arrangment I have intertwined Bilberry to create a new form that also puts into use the space outside the container. Together with the circular Gerbera flower the intertwined Bilberry branches echoes the shape of the black vase.

Bilberry and Gerbera.

A Ceremony of Harmony

In my last post I mentioned the European ikebana school Kaden Ryu that was founded in Germany by mr. Kikuto Sakagawa in 1987. Today I found a video that shows a Kaden Otemae, the old traditional flower ceremony that is an important component in the teaching of Sakagawa. In the video you'll meet Véronique Masurel, a master of the Kaden Ryu living in France. When practicing Kaden Otemae the focus is on the state of consciousness when arranging the flowers. The ceremony is ment to be an expression of peace, trust and friendship, through formal and codified gestures. When watching the video I can't help thinking that you will get much of the same peace through just working silently with an ikebana arrangement. The obvious difference is that during a flower ceremony you are sitting on your knees on the floor. Unfortunately the codified gestures are not very easy to spot in the video. Anyhow, you'll get an idea.


If you read German or French you can probably find out more about the Flower Ceremony in the books of Kikuto Sakagawa. Since I don't I'll have to wait for an English edition. If anyone have information in English to share about Kaden Otemae I would be greatful.

Sunday 3 January 2010

The Spirit of Christmas


If you are still in a Holiday mood I suggest you check out the website of the French Femme2decoTV. There is a step by step Christmas spirit ikebana instruction by Asami Nakamura, an ikebana master of the Kaden Ryu ikebana school. It's in French only, but the pictures are very easy to follow, and it's a great arrangement.

I came across the blog of Nakamura last autumn and her classical ikebana arrangements have been an inspiration for me since then. The Kaden Ryu school was founded in Germany in 1987 by mr. Kikuto Sakagawa. It teaches classical ikebana styles and specializes in Kaden otemae, a ceremonial way of practicing ikebana with roots from the Samurai times.
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