Ikebana performance with Paul Grabowsky at the Melbourne Recital Centre
Shoso Shimbo, PhD
Ikebana Artist ⎥Sculptor ⎥Garden Designer ⎥Shinto Priest
Dr. Shoso Shimbo is a certified Ikebana teacher with over 30 years of experience. An active figure in both the floral design and contemporary art worlds, he was named one of Australia’s Top Floral Designers by Belle magazine and has received numerous accolades, including the Gold Award at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show.
His floral works have been featured in several editions of International Floral Art (2014/15, 2016/17, 2021/22) published by Stichting Kunstboek (Belgium), a leading international platform for floral design.
As a sculptor, Shoso's work has been exhibited in major contemporary art events, including:
Toyota Sculpture Exhibition
Lorne Sculpture
Deakin University Contemporary Small Sculpture Award Finalists Exhibition
New Wave Art Festival at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV)
In 2017, he was awarded the Arnold Bloch Leiber Prize at the Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition. His notable commissions include:
A public art installation for the Archibald Prize Exhibition (Art Gallery of Ballarat, 2015)
The Wye River Project as part of Lorne Sculpture (2016)
A metal sculpture commission for Le Pine Funerals, Kew East (2020)
Shoso holds an MA in Japanese Studies, a Master of Fine Art, and a PhD in Education. He is also a qualified Japanese garden designer (certified by the Japan Horticultural Society) and taught Japanese Aesthetics at RMIT Short Courses until 2019.
He believes in the benefits of promoting ikebana, especially its positive psychological impact on community well-being and its contribution to environmental awareness. Committed to supporting the next generation, he actively engages in various initiatives.
He currently serves as:
Vice President, International Society of Ikebana Research (ISIR)
CEO, Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival – where he collaborated with renowned composer Paul Grabowsky for an ikebana performance at the Melbourne Recital Centre
Vice President, International Society of Ikebana Research (ISIR)
CEO, Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival – where he collaborated with renowned composer Paul Grabowsky for an ikebana performance at the Melbourne Recital Centre
Shoso is also the founder of:
Zoom Ikebana Dojo – an online learning platform for Ikebana
Ikebana Gallery Award – the first online international Ikebana competition
Zoom Ikebana Dojo – an online learning platform for Ikebana
Ikebana Gallery Award – the first online international Ikebana competition
A prolific writer, he regularly contributes to the International Journal of Ikebana Studies. His recent academic publication includes:
“Relative Positions of Freestyle Ikebana Movement in the Field of Ikebana Before and After WWII,” Traditional Culture (Kyoto University of Arts Publishing)
“Relative Positions of Freestyle Ikebana Movement in the Field of Ikebana Before and After WWII,” Traditional Culture (Kyoto University of Arts Publishing)
Additional Qualifications:
Certified Shinto Priest (Chokkai officially approved by Jinja Honcho – Kyoto Kokugakuin)
NAATI-Certified Translator (English to Japanese)
Certified Shinto Priest (Chokkai officially approved by Jinja Honcho – Kyoto Kokugakuin)
NAATI-Certified Translator (English to Japanese)
Solo Exhibition
2013 Distilling Nature: Master of Fine Art Project, MADA Project Gallery, Monash University
Curated Group Exhibitions (Selected)
2024 Wa ∙ Ikebana Exhibition (Melbourne Ikebana Festival), Abbotsford Convent (Since 2015)
2024 Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition
2024 Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition
2023 Art of Bloom, National Gallery of Victoria, 4-5 May
2022 Ikebana Exhibition at Villa Alba (Shoso Shimbo & His Students)
2018 Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition
2018 Lorne Sculpture
2017 Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition
2016 Lorne Sculpture
2014 Lorne Sculpture
2013 Twenty Five Sculptures at the World Trade Centre,The WTC Gallery
Deakin University Small Contemporary Sculpture Award Finalists Exhibition
2012 Annual Sculpture Exhibition, Toyota Community Spirit Gallery (since 2010)
Glen Eira Artists' Exhibition, Glen Eira City Council Gallery
2012 Lorne Sculpture
2010 Greater Than One, Monash University Faculty Gallery
2022 Ikebana Exhibition at Villa Alba (Shoso Shimbo & His Students)
2018 Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition
2018 Lorne Sculpture
2017 Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition
2016 Lorne Sculpture
2014 Lorne Sculpture
2013 Twenty Five Sculptures at the World Trade Centre,The WTC Gallery
Deakin University Small Contemporary Sculpture Award Finalists Exhibition
2012 Annual Sculpture Exhibition, Toyota Community Spirit Gallery (since 2010)
Glen Eira Artists' Exhibition, Glen Eira City Council Gallery
2012 Lorne Sculpture
2010 Greater Than One, Monash University Faculty Gallery
Ikebana Performance
2024 Ikebana performance with Slava Grigoryan, Melbourne Recital Centre
2022 Ikebana Performance with Paul Grabowsky, Melbourne Recital Centre
2019 Ikebana performance with the Grigoryan Brothers, Melbourne Recital Centre
2019 Ikebana performance, Suntory Roku Launch, Crown Hotel
2019 Ikebana performance, Suntory Roku Launch, Crown Hotel
2019 Ikebana performance: The way of flower, Melbourne Recital Centre
Commissioned Works / Special Displays (Selected)
2025 Regular Ikebana Display for Saint Dreux (Emporium Melbourne) & Parkside Plastic Surgery
2020 New Year’s display, Koko restaurant, Crown Hotel (Since 2009) 2020 Sculpture commission, Le Pine, Kew East, Melbourne
2019 Ikebana display, RMIT Open Day
2018 Biennale of Australian Art (BOAA), Ballarat
2018 Ikebana Demonstration, International Academic Forum, Kobe, Japan
2018 Lorne Sculpture
2016 Ikebana Display, The Snow Travel Expo, Japan Foundation
2016 Wye River Project, Lorne Sculpture
2015 Public Artwork for Archibald Award Exhibition, Ballarat Art Gallery
2014 Light On / Light Off, Upper West Side, Melbourne
2013 Christmas installation for the City of Ballarat
2012 New Wave Art Festival, National Gallery of Victoria
2009 Chelsea Flower Show, UK
2005 Melbourne Fashion Festival, Mural Hall & Shop windows, Myer, City
2005 Ellerslie Flower Show, Auckland, NZ
Award (Selected)
2019 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, Silver Award in Shop Window Display Competition2017 The Arnold Bloch Leiber Prize at the Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition
2006 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (Gold Award)
Publication - See "Publication" Page
Bibliography (Selected)
2022 The Age, 5 August 2022.
2020 International Floral Art 2021/2022. Oostkamp: Stichting Kunstboek.
2015 International Floral Art 2016/2017. Oostkamp: Stichting Kunstboek.
2013 International Floral Art 2014/2015. Oostkamp: Stichting Kunstboek.
2012 ABC Radio, 30 March.
2012 Floral Design Magazine, Feb, pp.38-53.
2009 Nine AM, Channel 10, October.
2009 M, The Sunday Age, March 29, p.20.
2006 Dumbo Feather, Issue 7, pp.50-67.
2006 Master of Ceremonies, Belle, January, p.188.
2006 Garden gurus, Channel 9, May.
2004 Australia's top floral designers, Belle, September, p.106.
2004 Good Morning Australia, Channel 10, 29 June.
Beleura House & Garden
2013 International Floral Art 2014/2015. Oostkamp: Stichting Kunstboek.
2012 ABC Radio, 30 March.
2012 Floral Design Magazine, Feb, pp.38-53.
2009 Nine AM, Channel 10, October.
2009 M, The Sunday Age, March 29, p.20.
2006 Dumbo Feather, Issue 7, pp.50-67.
2006 Master of Ceremonies, Belle, January, p.188.
2006 Garden gurus, Channel 9, May.
2004 Australia's top floral designers, Belle, September, p.106.
2004 Good Morning Australia, Channel 10, 29 June.
Clients List (Selected)
Apollo Bay Music Festival Beleura House & Garden
Chi Hair Dresser (Canterbury)
Chotto
City of Ballarat
City of Box Hill
Chotto
City of Ballarat
City of Box Hill
Costume National (Melbourne GPO)
Evado Clinical Software
Evado Clinical Software
Glen Eira City Council
Hanabishi Japanese Restaurant (Melbourne)
Holmesglen Institute of TAFE
Japan Cup (Moony Pond)
Japan Foundation
Japanese for Peace
Kazari & Ziguzagu
Koko Japanese Restaurant, Crown Hotel
Korowa Anglican Girls' School
Hanabishi Japanese Restaurant (Melbourne)
Holmesglen Institute of TAFE
Japan Cup (Moony Pond)
Japan Foundation
Japanese for Peace
Kazari & Ziguzagu
Koko Japanese Restaurant, Crown Hotel
Korowa Anglican Girls' School
Lesley Kehoe Galleries
Made in Japan
Mars Marketing Consultancy
Mayer (Melbourne)
Mazda Automobile
Made in Japan
Mars Marketing Consultancy
Mayer (Melbourne)
Mazda Automobile
Melbourne Fashion Festival
Mitsuno Japanese Restaurant (Malvern)
Mondopiero
National Gallery of Victoria
NEC Australia
Nikolaous Institute of Philanthropy
Olympus Australia
Parkside Plastic Surgery
Renouf & Associates Pty Ltd
Mitsuno Japanese Restaurant (Malvern)
Mondopiero
National Gallery of Victoria
NEC Australia
Nikolaous Institute of Philanthropy
Olympus Australia
Parkside Plastic Surgery
Renouf & Associates Pty Ltd
Richmond Library - City of Yarra
RMIT Short Courses - Open Day
Saint Dreux (Emporium Melbourne)
RMIT Short Courses - Open Day
Saint Dreux (Emporium Melbourne)
Santa Maria College
Shelford Girls' Grammar School
Supernormal Cantine
Star of the Sea College
State Government Victoria
Star of the Sea College
State Government Victoria
The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria
Shoso's logo is his own family crest. The crest, Ken Katabami means swords and oxalis corniculata (creeping woodsorrel). The original design of the crest was first used in Heian period (794 - 1185). Swords are symbol of samurai spirit and the three leaves represent compassion, wisdom and virtue.
Shoso Shimbo's Logo
Shoso's logo is his own family crest. The crest, Ken Katabami means swords and oxalis corniculata (creeping woodsorrel). The original design of the crest was first used in Heian period (794 - 1185). Swords are symbol of samurai spirit and the three leaves represent compassion, wisdom and virtue.
