Ikebana
This is from the Ikebana Show – “Waiting For Spring” of the Sogetsu Society NY Branch at the Nippon Club in good old NYC. The three women who made this incredibly cool piece with flowers and boxes and green willow sticks are Chizuko Korn, Shizue Pleasanton, and Yoko Ikura.
I do not really understand Ikebana – Japanese flower arranging. I know it requires attention to angles and ratios and textures – many of the students of Ikebana at the show – demure and dignified Japanese ladies, some with grey hair, also had really cool combinations of clothes on – pearl necklaces and rhinestone pins, laquered flowers on black pinstriped lapels. A couple of others (younger women) just wore pink kimonos. Somehow it all sort of worked.
PS – since posting I have been told that half of the students in the classes taught by the society in New York are American and half Japanese, both men and women. Sorry for any inaccurate impression that I may have given in my post, as I really only attended the opening and did not mean to give any false impression as to the Society or classes. It was a great opening and is a wonderful exhibition.
Explore posts in the same categories: New York CityTags: "Waiting for Spring", Ikebana, manicddaily, Nippon Club, Sogetsu Society NY Branch
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ManicDDaily 
January 18, 2013 at 6:48 am
Absolutely superb! Thank you SO much for showing it. I had not heard of Ikebana before, but will most definitely try to delve into it a bit. (I’m quite gobsmacked by this piece!)
January 18, 2013 at 7:29 am
Thanks, Dave. It’s a very pretty arrangement. k.
January 18, 2013 at 7:41 am
Beautiful. Sometimes a person doesn’t have to understand something to appreciate it!
January 18, 2013 at 8:25 am
very cool !!
January 18, 2013 at 9:26 am
It is beautiful n’ unique! I have seen someone make an arrangement on a craft show. You are right about the angles n’ light. It is a concept, one can appreciate, when we see such gorgeous results… 😀 I’m inspired just looking at it…. Off to read your interview! Thank you for sharing!!!
January 18, 2013 at 10:11 am
Thank you, Ella. k.
January 18, 2013 at 2:56 pm
This is beautiful and I’ve not heard of it before. Aren’t people endlessly creative?
January 18, 2013 at 3:32 pm
Yes!
January 18, 2013 at 3:33 pm
I’ve seen a few examples of ikebana, many years ago. They were considerably more…austere. This is really striking, and very modern feeling. The Japanese make an art of sparseness, space and line with so many very simple things, even raking sand. It’s quite a gift, I think, to see the world that way. Thanks for sharing this, k–it really is evocative of something at the very core of spring.
January 18, 2013 at 4:15 pm
I’ve been told that this school of ikebana is a little less rigid than some of the other schools, so it may be a bit more freeform. Some times the pieces almost border on the wacky, but they are all interesting. K.
January 18, 2013 at 10:03 pm
that is very cool actually…appealing to the eye…its new on me as far as i know…
January 21, 2013 at 1:47 pm
Awesome image! I love the way women in NYC grab onto fashion and run with it! All ages ……….
January 21, 2013 at 2:27 pm
Thanks – these are all Japanese women pretty much, but they are all living in NYC. k.
January 23, 2013 at 4:38 pm
It is the Sogetsu NY Branch group exhibit. Ladies who did the arrangement are Chizuko Korn, Shizue Pleasanton, and Yoko Ikura. It was a great exhbit, great crowd at reception.
January 23, 2013 at 4:45 pm
Thanks so very much, Debbie. I will add the names. It was a fabulous exibit – all of the arrangmenets were stunning. k.
January 23, 2013 at 6:34 pm
And half of the members are Americans, half Japanese. Men and women….
January 23, 2013 at 6:59 pm
Thanks. I am happy for the correction. I did not see many men displaying arrangements at the exhibition so happy to know. k.
February 6, 2013 at 5:19 pm
Various schools of Ikebana, including the Sogetsu School, are represented in the New York area (and cities around the world) by Ikebana International. We are a non-profit, educational organization of volunteers offering flower demonstration programs and Flower Shows. Please see our website: http://www.ikebanany.org
February 6, 2013 at 6:07 pm
Thanks so much, Beverly, for this information.
February 6, 2013 at 10:40 pm
Yes!
And Sogetsu’s link is http://www.sogetsuny.org. See photos of the whole exhibit!!
February 6, 2013 at 11:21 pm
Thanks so very much. The exhibit was really beautiful. All of the pieces were creative and lovely, and all of the exhibitors too! Both Japanese and Western! k.
February 6, 2013 at 10:34 pm
Your photo of this arrangement of Sogetsu ikebana is really good!
February 7, 2013 at 7:41 am
Sorry the link is : http://sogetsuny.wordpress.com/
Please look at the other arrangements!
August 5, 2015 at 12:37 pm
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