Ikebana

The art of flower arrangement.

What Is Ikebana

While a painting is an expression of art drawn on a canvas with a brush, Ikebana is an expression in three dimensions composed of plant materials arranged in a vase.

In general, a flower or tree looks perfectly beautiful blooming in its natural environment. It can hardly be improved upon. So if we cut it down for our Ikebana and simply try to reproduce its original beauty in a vase or by disposing it in another space, the attempt will be a failure. The plant's original, blooming beauty will elude us.

It is up to your aesthetic awareness to assemble the materials, choose their most beautiful aspects, put them in a different order, and endow them with a value transcending that which they had in nature. Arranging Ikebana begins with careful observation of the plant materials. With the help of nature, beauty is expressed by man's hand.

Flowers are often given as an expression of affection or respect, but if you once come to know the charms of Ikebana, they will attain a new dimension of liveliness and value to you.

The Sogetsu School

One of the most unorthodox of Ikebana schools, we believe the beauty of line is the richest element of Ikebana, the other being color.

Sogetsu School classifies Ikebana into two styles:

  1. the objective which brings out the individuality of the flowers, and
  2. the subjective which describes the person's feelings.
We believe in an Ikebana of no limits, in which anything may be used as material and displayed anywhere and in any circumstances. There are so many countries on this earth, with different races, different climates and customs. Flowers and trees change, too, as we move from north to south, from temperate to tropical regions, but this is not a barrier for Sogetsu Ikebana, for we arrange local materials in containers used in each particular area. Sogetsu Ikebana derives from Japanese tradition, but is now blooming all over the world.

The Sogetsu School History

The Sogetsu School was established by late Iemoto Sofu Teshigahara (1900 - 1979) in 1927. Believing that Ikebana should be both enjoyable and creative, Sofu developed a school of Ikebana deeply rooted in Japanese tradition yet meeting the requirements of the age. The Kakeiho method he developed was a systematic approach through several styles which made Ikebana available to everyone. By this means Sofu spread the art throughout the world as well as staging exhibitions of his own Ikebana-based sculpture.

Kasumi (1933 - 1980), daughter of and successor to Sofu, started career as an Ikebana artist after the Second World War. Her elegant and feminine works especially charmed many overseas enthusiasts of Ikebana.

Hiroshi Teshigahara has been Iemoto since 1980. His keen sensitivity and outstanding ability have found expression in a vary contemporary use of space. His daughter Akane Teshigahara is in line as the next Iemoto.

Sogetsu School in North America

In September 1995 Kiri Teshigahara was appointed Executive Directory of the Sogetsu School North America by her father Hiroshi Teshigahara, Headmaster of the Sogetsu School.
Sogetsu North America
140 Charles Street, #10C
New York, NY 10014
(212) 633-0811
(201) 633-8165 FAX
For the operation of the North American Region, Iemoto and Ms. Teshigahara have appointed the following members who will be assisting in the management of the various administrative duties in their designated area.
Name Title Location Phone
Hisako Kanzaki Deputy Director Bayside, NY USA 718-224-0296
Ann Schmeisser Regional Director Gibson Island, MD USA 410-255-3255
Kimi (Kika) Shibata Regional Director San Jose, CA USA 408-926-3991
Gregory Williams Regional Director Toronto, ON Canada 416-536-4795
Mary T. Sugiyama Honorary Advisor Towson, MD USA 410-321-0811
We each are born with our own creativity and refine it through learning ikebana. Let us study ikebana with the attitude of a beginner and stimulate each other with our curiosity.
 Kiri Teshigahara
* Ikebana Arts, Sensei Kika Shibata's homepage. Ikebana classes and supplies in the San Jose California area.

* Ikebana International Headquarters

* Sogetsu School

* To Jaya's Home Page.

Maintained by: webmaster@DanzanRyu.com, we welcome comments.
See the website map for a listing of all our pages.
Last modified: $Date: 2001/10/25 18:25:51 $