Ikebana and us

Feb 29th We were now winding down to the grand finale of the last three days. We awaited the demonstration by our Iemoto Akane, at the Chinmaya hall, walking distance from the IIC. Filled with energy, laughter and fellowship, the Chennai Study Group had bonded once again.  We were missing all our other member friends who could not make this trip, and here's hoping these blog posts make them feel that they were there as well. Mrs Veena Dass welcomed the gathering, and we started a bit late due to the late arrival of Mrs Ansari.  The Ambassador gave a short speech appreciating the efforts of the Sogetsu school to spread Japanese art, and bring understanding between our peoples. Mrs Ansari also spoke briefly about her encounters with Ikebana. We started with a short movie from the Sogetsu school about the founding Iemoto Sofu, and the subsequent movements of the school under Kasumi and Hiroshi.  It was a good time to reflect on the history of the school.  Made one wo

Feb 29th The Chennai Study Group was a relaxed bunch this morning, and the mood of anticipation was quite different from the nervous energy of the previous morning. We looked forward to Singapore's Christopher Lim's demonstration, and he did not disappoint with drama, speed and creative flair. He was helped by an efficient team comprising some members of the Delhi chapter as well as a support staff when muscle was needed! A colourful start The composition away from the spotlight.  Every arrangement that was done, would be moved to a side table for us to view later. In this second arrangement, we learnt how to quickly balance and stabilise materials, and how key the technique of binding  is. For his third piece, Lim used the woven mats found in our markets, which seem to have fascinated him. He actually used the cutter to make "holes" in the mats through which the material passed into the vase. The final composition, with the