Ikebana in Motion: When Nature and Art Come Together in Celebration

Art is in nature, nature is in art. And when the two flow together in celebration, the ordinary can indeed transform into poetry.

This celebration of life was the focus of the Chennai Sogetsu branch's workshop on January 17th, 2026. 13 branch members came together with much enthusiasm to celebrate the theme of the day.

Sensei Molly Cherian: Yellow Asia lilies, oncidium ochrid sprays, red canna, white dianthus buds and flowers, gypsophila, wine glasses, and a piece of net in a blue and gold chocolate box as container

Sensei Molly Cherian's arrangement seen above was a beautiful celebration of the birth of her great grandson. In her words: 

As my great grandson 's birthday  falls  during the  month of the Christmas  season, I  combined the  arrangement  matching both occasions. Yellow Asia lilies and oncidium orchid sprays were placed in two long-stemmed wine goblets in a blue and gold empty chocolate box, representing the  baby boy.

For Christmas, red cana flowers, white dianthes buds and flowers, and gypsophila flowers were  added along with green leaves. A piece of net was added for vibrancy.

Prerana Mehta's arrangement was beautiful in its minimalistic expression. The metal rings of the artistic piece denoted the circle of life, while the blue hues of the bottle represented the birth of a  baby boy. The single golden flower represented a child’s golden journey. Riji Sensei Malathi Pandurang chose to interpret the arrangement as a celebration of aloneness.

Prerana Mehta: Blue bottle and golden flower stem in a gold metal piece

Sensei Meenu's arrangement was a celebration of life. A round lantern was used to represent the infinite universe, while the use of monstera leaves and a golden painted heliconia denoted celebration and higher evolution. The yellow chrysanthemums hinted at sunshine - something everyone looks forward to.

Sensei Meenu: Painted heliconia stem, monstera leaf, yellow
spray chrysanthemums, silver sprayed pine in a green, ceramic container

Chelvi Gopinath's arrangement focused on the Pongal harvest celebrated in Chennai recently. The sunflower was used to signify uttarayan - the beginning of the sun's northward journey from the south. The rhizomes - ginger and turmeric - which had recently been harvested, were placed under water to denote their natural place underground. The dry banana leaf connected with the age-old tradition of eating on plantain leaves. 

Chelvi Gopinath: Sunflower, turmeric and ginger roots, turmerica plant, and dried banana leaf
in a glass container filled with water

Sensei Ambika Chandrasekar's arrangement celebrated Pongal festivities. She chose a beautiful ceramic container made by artist Sathya Ganapathi, its streaks of white symbolizing streaks of overflowing milk. The upturned sugarcane and turmeric highlighted the roots that exist below ground. The yellow chrysanthemum was chosen to symbolize the sun, the giver of life, and the red anthurium was strategically placed to mark the auspicious kumkum symbol.

Sensei Ambika Chandrasekar: Sugarcane stalks, turmeric roots, 

chyrsanthemum, anthurium, kallanchoe and limonium flowers in a ceramic container 

Bhuvana Shivshankaran's arrangement was a celebration of the wedding season. She used aesthetically trimmed mango leaves and branches to denote good luck, sunflowers to denote strength and celebration, and a sparkling brass urn to add the South Indian touch.

Bhuvana Shivshankaran: Mango leaves and branches, with sunflowers
in a brass kudam (container)

Zeenath Kadir's arrangement hailed the Navarathri festival in its celebratory  interpretations of education, new beginnings, and purity.

Zeenath Kadir: Roses, China asters, gerberas, chrysanthemums, 

jasmine branch, peace lily leaf, and gypsophila flowers in a white container

Shylaja Theetharappan also celebrated Pongal through her use of turmeric and mango leaves. The roots of the turmeric plant signified the earth, while its leaves hinted at the verdant beginnings of spring. The maroon chrysanthemums signified auspicious events. The vase selected stood tall in white purity, even as the green leaves and red flowers emerged in celebration of life.

Shylaja Theetharappan: Turmeric leaves and roots, 

mango leaves, and crimson chrysanthemum flowers in a white container

          

Gnanambikai Karthikeyan used the color red in her arrangement with shampoo ginger, focusing on its connotations of hope, positivity, fortune, prosperity, and energy. She used a sunflower to denote shining brightness in our lives. 

Gnanambikai Karthikeyan: Shampoo ginger and sunflower 

in a red, ceramic container

Krishna Ramachandran used the concept of flowers as a celebration of sacrifice and offering to the divine. His ensemble of brass uralis and lamps gave a lovely South Indian touch to the arrangement.

Krishna Ramachandran: Hibiscus flowers, brass diyas and lamps in 

brass plates and an urali

Susan Sudhir focused on Pongal and used sugarcane to signify the sweetness of life and resilience, yellow chrysanthemums to celebrate the vibrant beauty of life, and white chrysanthemums to remind one of earth's bountiful fullness. She used the earthenware pots (a Pongal festival specialty) to symbolize the ritual of boiling milk and cooking the traditional pongal rice dishes. She also arranged sugarcane stalks to resemble a wooden stove.

Susan Sudhir: Yellow and white chrysanthemums and sugarcane stalks
in earthenware pots

Mohan Vummidi chose a variety of chrysanthemum flowers, a bright red and yellow heliconia stem, and a slanting upright dracaena stalk to celebrate color and vibrancy in life.

Mohan Vummidi: Dracaena reflexa, heliconia, and chrysanthemums 

in a tall ceramic container