Ikebana and us

Over the years, in our annual exhibitions, I have experimented with urban waste, as a source of art and expression. Initially, I worked with various discarded auto parts - I had an old car that frequently threw up these various parts at me!  Car parts - an early attempt   I recall using these old silencers with the exhaust pipes forming the main lines! My father gave me some tips as to how to make them stand, and where I could fill water, for the fresh material!  My mother of course was the sounding board and provided me the encouragement  to try this idea.  It was also the first time that I worked with limoneum, the everlasting flower, which was used to soften the harsh, metallic lines of the pipes. I imagined the creation to show how even in our urban jungles, there are spots of life (the red carnations!), to brighten our life, and all we need to do is to look out for them. 2006-car radiators! Originally uploaded by ambikach2002 The next year, and I had some discarded radiators to ...

The Hindu : Property Plus Chennai : A touch of floral grandeur Vivid roses arranged in various heights in German silver vase produce an aura of dominance while orchids accentuate the effect, writes Hema Vijay Engrossing exercise: Ikebana arrangement is a great way to destress. Getting your house ready for a formal occasion? Perhaps this is the kind of floral arrangement you can opt for. This tall and regal looking ikebana arrangement by Ikebana teacher Meenakshi Sarin exudes an impressive aura to the ambience. The tall silver vase lends the arrangement the height effect. To contrast with the gleam of silver, Meenakshi has placed a tarnished flat German silver vase atop it. As the German silver vase is wide and flat, pin holders will not serve the purpose here. So, Meenakshi has gone in for Oasis sponges into which she has stuck the stems to hold them in place. While the vivid roses arranged in various heights dominate the arrangement, the orchids accentuate the effect. A trail of delic...

The light blue colour of dry vine and geometric shape make it an effective arrangement, writes Hema Vijay Stay fresh: Dry vines retain their colour and texture for years. The Hindu : Property Plus Chennai : Giving ikebana a modern feel Tired of reading meanings or concepts from plant material? Looking for an arrangement that is not just decorative either? How about abstract ikebana? Apparently, abstract art can be configured with ikebana, as elucidated by this dry vine and orchid arrangement by Vaishali N. Vasa, Ikebana teacher and model maker. The modern-looking chocolate brown Indian ceramic vase with its three tiny holes was the starting point. “The vase seemed too small and I wanted to make a big ikebana with dry material. So, I decided to arrange the dry vine (called mitsumata in Japanese) in a triangular format”, explains Vaishali. The vines, which are four times lengthier than the vase, are kept tied by soft metal wire. The vines enclose space and enlarge the ikebana. The light...

The Hindu : Property Plus Chennai : A symbiotic effect in place This ikebana arrangement maintains perfect rhythm with three natural elements – water, earth and the sky, says Hema Vijay. In tune with nature: Ikebana arrangement can still nurture natural beauty and provide pleasure. The fact that Sogetsu ikebana gives you freedom to use any kind of material gives a shot-in-the-arm for the creative process. This has made Padma Swaminathan to come up with an ikebana arrangement that comments on contemporary environmental concerns. Conceptually, this arrangement highlights the need to protect the environment by maintaining the right balance between three of the five panchabhuthas - water, earth and the sky. “I wanted to show the benefits of keeping our water bodies free of pollution, which would foster a favourable and symbiotic relationship between marine and plant life”, says Padma. Trimmed and cut Padma opted for a rectangular black ceramic vase from Korea. She placed oyster and coral s...

The Hindu : Property Plus Chennai : Even marsh weeds come handy! You can create great effect with the use of wild marsh weeds in a classic ikebana frame, writes Hema Vijay. Natural feel: A handful of marsh weeds set upright on a shallow ceramic vase. Need Ikebana be expensive and fanciful? Are those spectacular orchids and imported flowers a must? Not at all. You can use plant material you see around and create a great effect. Like Venkatesh Sthanusubramanian, who has brilliantly created a classy ikebana arrangement using marsh weeds growing wild in the countryside! “I keep travelling in the countryside and the bull rush weeds that inevitably grow near water bodies caught my attention”, says Venkatesh. That was the inspiration which culminated in this arrangement. Venkatesh caught hold of a handful of these weeds and set them upright (using an ikebana pin holder) on a shallow ceramic vase. A few stalks of tiny white star daisies and pink asters arranged casually at the base of the weed...

The Hindu : Property Plus Chennai : Windswept gives a spark of light In the world of ikebana, pink signifies grace and femininity, writes Hema Vijay Special effect: The cream and pink shades of the ceramic jar serve as a great foil to the pink asters, enhancing their colour appeal Bare branches take your mind to winter in foreign locales. The blooming pink flowers serve a pleasant contrast. A case of roses in the middle of thorns? Or more appropriate to this arrangement, the pink flowers happen to be asters heaped along with dry branches. In the realm of ikebana, pink signifies grace and femininity. But nevertheless, the arrangement conveys the same sense of discovering joy in the middle of sorrow, or a spark of light in the middle of desolation. Molly Cherian, who created this arrangement, calls it ‘Windswept?.’ The cream and pink shades of the ceramic jar serve as a great foil to the pink asters, accentuating their colour appeal. Well actually, Molly has consciously used the pink ast...

The Hindu : Property Plus Chennai : Make way for a vase Notice the container? Yes, it is a copper water pot. In fact, using imagination and thinking out of the box, you can fashion vases out of a range of objects… the sky is the limit. In fact, you can even improvise upon the half of a tender coconut and create a vase out of it! That is how innovative and enterprising you can get with Sogetsu Ikebana. Vine, ginger lilies In this arrangement by Sogetsu Ikebana teacher Malathi Pandurang, the twigs branching across space towards the onlooker let out a sense of wilderness. Malathi has also used vine, ginger lilies, Ixora branches, and Heliconia in the arrangement. Sturdy branches The sturdy Ixora branches do stand out and dominate the arrangement, but it is the copper pot which actually inspired the entry of the Ixora branches. “I wanted to use something sturdy to complement the deep colour and texture of the copper pot, which is what the Ixora branches achieve. The same effect can be arri...

Bamboo beckons Can an ikebana arrangement take a place on the floor? Yes, it can, says Hema Vijay Ikebana delight: The predominant materials are bamboo sticks, coloured bamboo, Dressina leaves and Asia lilies in a colourful mixture. Can an ikebana arrangement move off the table and take a place on the floor? Why not, progressive schools of ikebana encourage you to let your imagination soar, and if the arrangement zooms up in size and space, well, why not? That is, if you have the space. In the arrangement being considered here, the predominant material are bamboo sticks, coloured bamboo, Dressina leaves and Asia lilies in a terracota pot. The theme Ambika had in mind was ‘colours of India’, and consequently the colour composition - green, gold and orange. “I tried to complement the earthy terracota pot with the brown of the bamboo”, Ambika says. “When I made the arrangement, the bamboos were up straight, and not leaning to one side as they are in the image. Also, the yellow Asia lilies...

Ensuring a perfect balance Twin-core ikebana arrangement creates a unitary effect, writes Hema Vijay Seen as one: Ikebana can be used a pair to create a unitary effect. It is a twin core, where you can read two as one and one as two. This particular twin-core ikebana arrangement rooted in plant material leads our thoughts into philosophic material… concepts like dual self, virtual reality and so on. "The shape of these Sri Lankan ceramic vases inspired me to use them as a pair", says Sogetsu Ikebana teacher Malathi Pandurang. Marked split While the inner curving outlines of the two vases complement each other to create a unitary effect, it can also be read as a marked split. The perfect balance between the two vases enables them to be read as one, though they are two. Two kinds of plant material have been used too. The solid and vivid heliconia and the cloudy and fragile limoneum flowers. Rocklike "It is a very simple composition, actually. After putting the two vases to...

http://www.hindu.com/pp/2008/05/31/stories/2008053150070200.htm Anthuriums give the right balance There are many possibilities with anthuriums now available in bigger sizes and many colours, writes Hema Vijay Elegant, understated and yet dashing – that describes this wonderful ikebana arrangement by Ambika Chandrasekar. The dashing red anthurium flowers in the centre charges up the scene, while the green props by way of the variegated reed grass on the lower level and the umbrella plants that reach upwards create a great colour balance. ‘Basically, my focus was to achieve an appealing, abstract colour effect’, says Ambika. Ambika sourced the thermocol prop for the base and the back from laptop packaging. The circular holed thermocol sheet placed at a slight angle adds a touch of modernity and provides a great backdrop for the vivid anthuriums. But wouldn’t a modern material like thermocol go against the ‘green’ spirit that ikebana celebrates? ’Not at all’, says Ambika. "The Sogets...

A theme with colour focus Any green material can contribute to the creation of an ikebana entity, writes Hema Vijay Nature’s legacy: Ikebana is a beautiful art form that has a close bearing on nature It is a beautiful art. An art form that gives you a closer connection with nature; an art form that looks great and radiates a live, feel-good aura; art that anybody can get into. Yes, of course; it is Ikebana, the wonderful Japanese art of flower arrangement that we are talking about. Ikebana literally means ‘alive plant material’ in Japanese. Not just floral decoration. Ikebana goes beyond and resonates with the spirit. Among the Ikebana schools, Sogetsu School has charmed the world the most. In 1927, Sofu Teshigahara recognised ikebana as a creative art and founded the Sogetsu School, which permits a high order of liberty in choice of material used. Beginning this week, we bring to you some wonderful flower arrangements, along with instructions on how to get it done, and a glance at the...

With wonderful fellowship through flowers, the weekend and the exhibition are now just a memory. Twelve enthusiastic participants in the exhibition brought out the theme of Beauty in Nature. Friday was a beehive of activity, with the Lalit Kala Akademi floor strewn with cut material, buckets, vines, branches, pots, pans, pinholders and vases. My mother began with her huge pot, and proceeded with focus from one arrangement to the other, not stopping for anything! I on the other hand was in a panic, as my bambbos wouldn't "behave", and the little cans to hold water wouldn't stay where I wanted them to. With much engineering assistance from my father, the terracotta pot with bamboo was done! But time was running on, and I had to hurry on. Incessant chatter filled the hall, as Trishala asked Padma aunty how to make her palm leaf stand, Vaishali called out her suggestions, Prerana made some wisecracks and Pushkala laughed at the confusion. Venkatesh arrived with his...