Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arranging, a sculptural art form dealing with the creation of arrangements that explore color, form, and the spatial environments in which they are sited. I am currently studying the Sogetsu School of Ikebana, just one of over 300 individual schools of Ikebana in Japan. Sogetsu School is a modern school of Ikebana, founded in 1927 by Teshigahara Sofu. He believed in celebrating the artistic creativity inherent in each student. This is the hallmark of the Sogetsu style, allowing each particpant free-reign in material selection and artistic placement.
I am currently studying Sogetsu School Ikebana at City College of San Francisco under master teacher Soho Sakai. I am just starting out(in the equivalent to first grade), so I am still learning the basic forms of Ikebana arrangements.
There are two basic forms: Moribana, or arrangemnts in a low bowl-like container(suiban), and Nagiere, upright arrangements in a tall vase(tsu-tsu). Moribana arrangements utilize a kenzan, or flower frog, a metal pincushion-type fixture to hold the materials in place. Nagiere arrangements make use of branching materials as fixtures, either as crossbars at the mouth of the vase(jumonji-dome) or as centered split supporting branches fixed inside the container(soegi-dome). Both types of arrangement revolve around three main branches(shushi), representing Heaven(Shin), Man(Soe), and Earth(Hikae). The Shin and Soe are generally branch type materials with strong stems to emphasize the clean lines of the arrangement. The Hikae is generally more what we would think of when we consider a flower. Shin, Soe, and Hikae are augmented by the use of supporting materials(jushi), generally additional stems of the same materials used as central elements. The jushi are used to cover the mouth of the container, created focal points in the arrangement, and add depth to the spatial arrangement.
These basic forms are generally meant to be viewed head on, from one primary direction. Considering this, they are created with the environment in which they are to be placed in mind. Depending on the needs of a particular space, they can be arranged regular(Hongatte), reversed(Gyakugatte), or in a number of variation or slanting styles. Each of these particular types arrangement types is defined through a kakei, or diagram of the specific form to be created. The materials are selected by the artist, with the needs of the kakei(the desired arrangement to be created) in mind. If you want to create a slanting style arrangement, you must choose appropriate materials. Also, the materials themselves dictate whether an arrangement will be composed regular direction or reversed, depending on which way they have grown in nature. If the space you intend to place the arrangement in requires the arrangement to go in a particular direction or take a particular form for spatial reasons, you must select appropriate materials.
The basic forms are stylistic guidelines, intended as tools to train new students in the aesthetic values of the Sogetsu style. After these forms are mastered, they are essentially discarded, and the artist works solely on the basis of individual creativity. Most of the examples I will show, therefore, represent only the basics of this artform, as I am still learning the basic forms. I will also try to present examples of master artists and more experienced practitioners to show the amazing sculptural possibilities this style offers in the hands of a master.
Thanks for reading! I welcome all submissions, comments and suggestions.....
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