The In-Between

Life can be pretty crowded. To bring som clearness, enough space must be cleaned up to give room for the lines.

Lines are an important element in ikebana designs, from the oldest traditional styles to the contemporary. What is often forgotten is that it is equally important to put work into shaping the space in-between the lines. Open spaces are not empty but an element full of tension and energy.

Sofu Teshigahara, founder of the Sogetsu school once said:

"Ikebana is the art of space - the space between branches, the space between flowers and leaves and the space between masses. In other words, the space between the branches and flowers comes alive. This space is a plentiful void projecting tension and power."

Sibirian Dogwood, Amaryllis.
Showing lines at the base.

The arrangements in this blog post illustrates two lessons in the Sogetsu curriculum. The first exercise is showing lines at the base by allowing for a lot of open space and highlighting some lines that you find interesting. The space in-between the base and the top of the arrangement showcases the character of the material.

In the second arrangement, a quite simple design, the space between the containers is the most important aspect. By letting the space continue also between the materials the design keeps a strong energy.

Sibirian Dogwood, Ornamental Kale (Brassica), Bouvardia.
More than one container. Line and mass.

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