Seventeen members of the Sogetsu Chennai branch met on Saturday, July 26th, after a long summer break. The enthusiasm to meet and enjoy each other's company was palpable at the ABK Hall. By 10.45am, the room was filled with loud conversations and occasional peels of laughter. Summer was almost done (well, almost), and the branch was set to start its activities for the rest of the year.
Riji Malathi Pandurang welcomed Ms. Mami Teraoka, Researcher/Adviser, Culture & Information, Consulate-General of Japan to the gathering of 17 members, and set the ball rolling with important announcements. She briefed the group about the Japan trip in April where a few of the members had attended a Sogetsu workshop in Tokyo with Master Instructor Sumide. Ma'am also spoke about the exhibition held earlier this year in March and the good experiences from the 5-day event.
New members Zeenath Kadir, Christine Arati Fernando, and Ragini Prakash were welcomed.
The workshop theme of the day was "Mass." Senseis Ambika Chandrasekar and Molly Cherian presented beautiful, innovative demos on the day's theme.
Demo by Sensei Ambika
Sensei Ambika started the workshop with an intricate arrangement using circular mass, created from shredded paper. She demonstrated a massed theme by arranging the white artificial "flowers" with deep pink carnations in a repurposed brown bottle. The end result was a beautiful and aesthetic presentation that depicted mass in a harmonized line.
Sensei Ambika then demonstrated a vibrant arrangement in morimono with tomatoes, lemons, and ladies finger. The creation was unique and was complemented by the simplicity of the vase. Sensei Ambika remembered Sensei Janaki in her choice of glass vase, that sensei Janaki had gifted to Sensei Malathi. The arrangement beautifully demonstrated mass in a vertical format, topped off with a bunch of ladies finger.
Demo by Sensei Molly Cherian
Sensei Molly Cherian then demonstrated two arrangements based on the theme of the day.
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Arrangement with bunches
of Australian equisetifolia
and aralia leaves with
ixora flowers
in ceramic vases
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The first was a profusion of massed greenery offset by yellow and red ixora flowers. The arrangement was stunning in its use of vibrant colours, with the strategic bunching of leaves and flowers to give the arrangement a sense of bountiful beauty.
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Arrangement with
Buddha Belly bamboo
and hydrangea flowers
in a ceramic container |
The second arrangement was created without a kenzan and used fresh and dry materials with different textures. The many lines of Buddha belly bamboo branches were used to create mass while the natural mass of hydrangeas added volume. The ceramic container with no kenzan added to the natural and minimalistic appearance.
After the demos, the floor was open to the members to work on their arrangements. Refreshments sponsored by Senseis Divya, Prerana, Meenu, and Trishala were a welcome finale to the camaraderie and good cheer enjoyed by this closely-knit group of Ikebana enthusiasts.
Arrangements by Members
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 | Arrangement by Sensei Meenu
Materials: Dried banana leaves,
chrysanthemum flowers
in a ceramic vase
 | Arrangement by Sensei Chitra Rajan Materials: Dried lemonia flowers, tree fern, chrysanthemums, and gerberas in a ceramic vase
Arrangement by Chelvi Materials: Two types of dracena with pink chrysanthemums in a ceramic nageire container
Arrangement by Mami Teraoka Materials: Green chrysanthemums in a ceramic container |
Arrangement by Sensei Dalley Materials: Gerberas, crinium lily, and mandarin orange in a ceramic container with
metallic frame
Arrangement by Sensei Pushkala Materials: Chrysanthemums to express mass and Argyreia nervosa vine to represent line also made to a mass |
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Arrangement by Sensei Prerana Materials: Air-dried corn husk and red berries in a fiberglass container
 | Arrangement by Sensei Trishala Materials: Aralia leaves with a bunch of chrysanthemums in two ceramic vases
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 | Arrangement by Sensei Divya Materials: Garden leaves and sunflower in a moribana container
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 | Arrangement by Sensei Bhuvana Materials: Ixora branches and yellow chrysanthemums in a ceramic container
Arrangement by Ambikai Materials: Bunches of gerbera flowers and cypress leaves in a ceramic container
Arrangement by Susan Materials: Bunches of gerberas and aspidistra leaves in a metal container |
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