Preview for our exhibition
Our exhibition opens tomorrow A curtain-raiser In the spirit of the rising sun “Ikebana is an ancient art, which entered Japan along with Buddhism. The flowers used were traditional ones, like azaleas, offered to the deity in monasteries,” explains Malathi Pandurang, chairperson of the Sogetsu Study Group. Pandurang goes on to describe how, in an ancient monastery in Kyoto, a priest sat observing a pond and the flowers that grew on it. It occurred to him to use both these as elements of art , “which is why the art form is called Ikebana; ‘ike’ means water and ‘bana’ refers to plant material.” Pandurang has been practising this art for the past four decades, and follows the Sogetsu school of Ikebana. It is one of myriad schools, each with its set of rules and techniques of arrangement. Through her study group, Pandurang and her team have been working to learn, teach and spread this art in Chennai. “Chennai weather is the biggest deterrent,” she says, adding, “The advanta