Melbourne Ikebana Festival, Spring 2024ikebanafestival.com

Sunday 29 December 2019


Saturday 28 December 2019

Thursday 12 December 2019

Shoso at International Conference, Tokyo



24 - 27 May 2020: Shoso Shimbo will present a paper, "Nature in Ikebana: Beyond sustainability" at the Asian Conference on Arts and Humanities, Toshi Center Hotel, Tokyo. https://acah.iafor.org/acah2020/

Monday 9 December 2019

Ikebana Dinner Show


Watch elegant ikebana creations by artists Shoso Shimbo and Shoan Lo unfold before your eyes as you enjoy a three course meal at one of Melbourne's finest restaurants. Canapes on arrival and drinks are included. This is the first event of Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival 2020.

Image: Shoso Shimbo, Container: mbug

When: 7pm - 10pm, Saturday 12 September 2020
Where: Quaff Restaurant, 436 Toorak Rd, Toorak, Melbourne
https://www.quaff.net.au
Booking: Opening soon. Programs 2020.


Menu - indicative menu. Final menu will be announced in May 2020.

entrée

lemon salt & pepper calamari 
mizuna, spanish onion, sriracha aioli

master stock braised pork belly
nuoc nam, green mango salad, pickled chilli 

seared sumac tuna
wasabi fish roe, pickled daikon, soy ginger dressing

salad of watermelon, papaya and grapes
fresh ricotta, walnuts, sherry dressing


************************

main


pan fried fish fillet
beetroot puree, fennel and herb salad, hazelnut oil


oven roasted lamb rump
baby tomato, yellow string beans, basil jus
toasted moroccan spices

chargrilled eye fillet steak 
cauliflower mash, watercress and radish salad, red wine jus

leek, spinach and fetta risotto

side salads included


************************

dessert

vanilla panna cotta 
sugar glazed peach, granola crumb, peach syrup

warm banana and walnut brownie
raspberry coulis

individual pavlova
fresh strawberry and passionfruit 
hazelnut crumb


Optional menu extras:

Canapés on arrival bruschetta, salmon blinis, arancini

https://www.shoso.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Monday 2 December 2019


Saturday 30 November 2019

Ikebana Calendar


27 November 2019: Flower Display, Koko Restaurant, Hotel Crown.

7 December 2019: Tea Flower for Urasenke, Lesley Kehoe Galleries.  

18 December 2019: Flower Display, Koko Restaurant, Hotel Crown.

Christmas - New Year: Flower Display, Koko Restaurant, Hotel Crown.

12 February 2020: Japanese Aesthetics (From Ikebana to contemporary art), RMIT Short Courses. http://bit.ly/rmit-ikebana   

24 - 27 May 2020: Shoso will present a paper, Nature in Ikebana: Beyond sustainability at the Asian Conference on Arts and Humanities, Tokyo. https://acah.iafor.org/acah2020/

19 & 20 September 2020: Wa Melbourne Ikebana Festival. https://waikebana.blogspot.com/


20 September 2020: Ikebana Performance with Paul Grabowsky at Melbourne Recital Centre. 

https://www.shoso.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Friday 22 November 2019


Sunday 27 October 2019

Ikebana Calendar


23 October 2019: RMIT Japanese Aesthetics.  http://bit.ly/JapaneseAesthetics

30 October 2019: Roku Gin Suntory Product Launch, Crown Hotel. Shoso will present an ikebana performance. 

30 October 2019: Ikebana Installation for Koko Japanese Restaurant, Crown Hotel. 

16 November 2019: Wa Melbourne Ikebana Festival Committee Meeting

18 November 2019: Sogetsu Victoria branch workshop 

19 & 20 September 2020: Wa Melbourne Ikebana Festival. https://waikebana.blogspot.com/

20 September 2020: Ikebana Performance with Paul Grabowsky at Melbourne Recital Centre

https://www.shoso.com.au 
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Wednesday 9 October 2019

A New Japanese Aesthetics Course Starting Soon



23 October 2019: RMIT Japanese Aesthetics.  http://bit.ly/JapaneseAesthetics

https://www.shoso.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Monday 7 October 2019

Ikebana Performance with Paul Grabowsky


Booking will open soon. 

Ikebana


In the twentieth century, modernist art movements such as Cubism and Abstract Art moved from depicting the outside world as it is seen to a focus on the true reality of objects in the material world.

In Senno Kuden (1542), one of the early texts on ikebana (the art of Japanese flower arranging), Senno proposed that ikebana should be created based on the “omokage” of the floral and leaf materials in an arrangement. Omokage is not the image we see but is the conceptual essence of the materials. Just like some Cubist artists moved their focus from visual imitation to conceptual representation, ikebana artists move beyond the visual image of the flowers and through meditation, seek to grasp their essence.

Senno also thought that ikebana represents “onozukara naru sugata”, the essence of the universe. In the same way that Abstract Art can be seen to represent virtues such as order, purity, simplicity and spirituality, ikebana is searching for this essence of the universe, which I call Wa: Fluid Harmony in my performance.

Ikebana Performance

Inspired by Abstract Expressionism, artists like Georges Mathieu and Kazuo Shiraga used performance to show that the act of creating an artwork can be equally important as the final product.

In an Ikebana performance, the focus is on the process of creation as much as the end result. The artist has an image of the final destination, but there is no fixed plan. The artist, the material, the musicians and the music form a symbiotic relationship that is constantly transforming the whole composition of the work. Marcel Duchamp and Lewis Carroll were fascinated with these kinds of transformations that share an aspect of chess. 


The emerging work is a dynamic matrix, an unpredictable arrangement of symmetry and asymmetry that incorporates the influence of the music into its design and execution.

Shoso Shimbo, PhD 

Paul Grabowsky

Wednesday 25 September 2019

Sunday 15 September 2019

Ikebana Calendar


Ikebana Calendar Melbourne

29 September 2019: Ikebana Workshop at Kazari
https://www.kazari.com.au/antiques-vintage/ikebana/ikebana-workshop-with-shoso-shimbo-ssws005

30 September 2019: Deadline for submitting essay for International Journal of Ikebana Studies. Would you like to get your ikebana essay published?
国際いけ花学会では日本語あるいは英語のエッセーを募集中です。
https://ikebanastudies.wordpress.com/

23 October 2019: RMIT Japanese Aesthetics. http://bit.ly/JapaneseAesthetics

19 & 20 September 2020: Wa Melbourne Ikebana Festival. https://waikebana.blogspot.com/

20 September 2020: Ikebana Performance with Paul Grabowsky at Melbourne Recital Centre

http://www.shoso.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Wednesday 11 September 2019


Sunday 8 September 2019

Shoso's Speech at the Opening of Wa 2019


Good morning, everyone. Welcome to Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival. I’d particularly like to welcome our special guests, a representative of Dr Tien Kieu, Member of the Victorian Parliament, Daniel Nguyen, City of Yarra Councillor, Wadaiko Rindo, and Trish Nicholls of Ikebana International, but it’s great to see so many of you here and you are all very welcome.

All of you are part of this first international Ikebana festival. When I said we should call our next exhibition an ikebana festival, not an ikebana exhibition, some of my students laughed, saying “That sounds too big for us”. It is true that it was a bit ambitious, but we needed it and we achieved it thanks to you all.

Why did we need Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival?

Firstly, because it can be a very effective vehicle to promote ikebana. Ikebana is not very well recognised in Australia, although it was introduced here over 60 years ago. Many organisations organise exhibitions regularly and some of them have invited ikebana masters from Japan. That is wonderful, but I believe we need to do more to reach the wider community.

Secondly, contemporary conditions have changed. Many people see climate change and environmental sustainability as the biggest problems we face today. Ikebana has a role to play here. Ikebana can teach us that nature is not our resource but rather we are part of nature.

The history of Ikebana suggests that its role has been rather passive for five centuries. For instance, when the middle class emerged in the Edo period, ikebana developed simplified styles to accommodate their needs. When Western culture was introduced to Japan, Ikebana changed again to adjust to the social change. If society changes, ikebana changes. 

But right now may be a time when ikebana can lead contemporary culture. We, alone, cannot change the environment, but by promoting and supporting ikebana, we may be able to influence people to change their way of thinking about the environment. Ikebana has a role to promote a new attitude to nature, which is actually very ancient.


I will talk more about ikebana and nature tomorrow morning.

However, the journey to our inaugural Melbourne Ikebana Festival was not an easy one. We would not have been able to achieve this without the hard work of the team, our committee, sponsors, an anonymous sponsor, many volunteers and all the exhibitors. Thank you all very much.

In particular, I would like to thank the team, Shoan, Shoto, Shokai, Sue, Ryoko and Takako who spent so many hours for this event. Whenever there was a problem they had a solution. They are a very creative and dynamic team and this small budget international culture festival needed just this team. Every time we overcame our problems we realised that we were stronger.

We have overcome many hurdles. The first big hurdle was when a group of people decided to leave Wa, making us a very small group, simply too small to claim "Melbourne Ikebana Festival".

We decided to recruit exhibitors from outside and we successfully recruited wonderful exhibitors including 3 international and 2 interstate exhibitors. We really appreciate their being with us today and their belief in us.

The second was when we were unable to afford to invite a master teacher from Japan. The quote I received was simply too much for us, and I could not ask our students to support my plan.

We had to change our approach. Rather than asking external support, we had to do whatever we could do to make this event an international festival. We organised talks, demos, workshops, markets, and performances. We aimed to show many aspects of ikebana to promote it.

As a result, we were featured in some important media such as 3MBS. Wadaiko Rindo came to show their support for our hard work. International Society of Ikebana Studies decided to co-host a conference with us regularly. Consequently, many of our events have been sold out.

I feel that bringing this Melbourne Ikebana Festival to life was almost a miracle. That miracle was due to the power of Ikebana and power of people who believe in the significance of this event.

http://www.shoso.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Thursday 5 September 2019

Ikebana Conference at Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival


IMG_3329 (1)

IMG_3331

International Society of Ikebana Studies, Regular Conference, September 2019

Shoso Shimbo, PhD talked about the rise of free style ikebana in 1920's as part of Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival.

When: 9 am, 1 September 2019
Where: Rosina Auditorium, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne

Influence of the Western Modernism on Perception of Nature in Ikebana: A New Interpretation of Ikenobo Senno Kuden (1542) and Its Hidden Link to the Rise of Free Style in the Modern Japan

Western culture, in particular the Modernism Art Movement, has had an influence on Ikebana since the Meiji period (1868 - 1912). As such, Ikebana has undergone a cultural transformation that is closely related to a redefinition of Ikebana, incorporating a reconsideration of the attitude to nature in Japan. This study focuses on works by Suido Yamane (1893 - 1966), Mirei Shigemori (1896 -1975) and Hiroshi Teshigahara (1927 - 2001) who were particularly conscious of the influence of Western culture on Ikebana.

My talk today is a small part of my research on influence of the Western culture on Ikebana, and it focuses on Suido Yamane who proposed free style arrangements in the 1920’s for the first time in the history of Ikebana. I would like to focus on the relationship between Ikenobo Senno Kuden in the 16th century and emergence of free style Ikebana in the 1920’s.

There is an argument that, in modern Japan under the influence of Western culture, there was a shift in the view of what Ikebana symbolically represents – from universal structural orders to life energy. However, these external and internal approaches were both mentioned in the classic Ikebana text, Ikenobo Senno Kuden (1542). This concept of Ikebana as a representation of life energy did not begin with the reformers in 1920’s & 1930’s, it has been around since the early stage of development in Ikebana and deserves more attention.

This study suggests that with encountering Western culture, Ikebana artists and theorists became aware of the differences in the perception of nature in the West and in Japan. In their effort to incorporate Western attitudes to nature into Ikebana, they needed to reconsider the essence of Ikebana, and develop new theories on Ikebana. This study also suggests that those new theories are often based on Eastern philosophy.

http://www.shoso.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Wednesday 4 September 2019

Thank you for giving us a full house!


Thank you for giving us a full house!

Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival presented Ikebana artist Shoso Shimbo in concert with the Grigoryan Brothers on 31 August 2019. Shoso created 2 large Ikebana works in one hour with assistance from Shoan, Shokai and Shoto. Thank you all for your great support.

Shoso will work with a master jazz pianist, Paul Grabowsky on 20 September 2020 as part of Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival. Details will be announced in Shoso's website shortly.

http://www.shoso.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Wednesday 28 August 2019

Ikebana Conference at Wa: Ikebana Festival


International Society of Ikebana Studies, Regular Conference, September 2019  

Shoso Shimbo, PhD will talk about the rise of free style ikebana in 1920's as part of Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival.

When: 9 am, 1 September 2019
Where: Rosina Auditorium, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
Booking: https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=534663&

Influence of the Western Modernism on Perception of Nature in Ikebana: A New Interpretation of Ikenobo Senno Kuden (1542) and Its Hidden Link to the Rise of Free Style in the Modern Japan
Western culture, in particular the Modernism Art Movement, has had an influence on Ikebana since the Meiji period (1868 - 1912). As such, Ikebana has undergone a cultural transformation that is closely related to a redefinition of Ikebana, incorporating a reconsideration of the attitude to nature in Japan. This study focuses on works by Suido Yamane (1893 - 1966), Mirei Shigemori (1896 -1975) and Hiroshi Teshigahara (1927 - 2001) who were particularly conscious of the influence of Western culture on Ikebana.

My talk today is a small part of my research on influence of the Western culture on Ikebana, and it focuses on Suido Yamane who proposed free style arrangements in the 1920’s for the first time in the history of Ikebana. I would like to focus on the relationship between Ikenobo Senno Kuden in the 16th century and emergence of free style Ikebana in the 1920’s.

There is an argument that, in modern Japan under the influence of Western culture, there was a shift in the view of what Ikebana symbolically represents – from universal structural orders to life energy. However, these external and internal approaches were both mentioned in the classic Ikebana text, Ikenobo Senno Kuden (1542). This concept of Ikebana as a representation of life energy did not begin with the reformers in 1920’s & 1930’s, it has been around since the early stage of development in Ikebana and deserves more attention.

This study suggests that with encountering Western culture, Ikebana artists and theorists became aware of the differences in the perception of nature in the West and in Japan. In their effort to incorporate Western attitudes to nature into Ikebana, they needed to reconsider the essence of Ikebana, and develop new theories on Ikebana. This study also suggests that those new theories are often based on Eastern philosophy.

http://www.shoso.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Thursday 22 August 2019

Ikebana Workshop at Melbourne Ikebana Festival


Ikebana Workshops for Beginners
1-5pm, Saturday 31 August 2019 - Ichiyo School
10am-5pm, Sunday 1 September 2019 - Sogetsu School Shoso Shimbo Group
Duration: 50 min
Venue: Yellow Room, Rosina (Yellow Room is next to Rosina Auditorium)
Fee: $35 per person. Father's Day Special ($60 for 2) & Father's Day Family Discount ($100 for 4) - available Sunday only. Details about discounts.
Booking: http://bit.ly/IkebanaConvent 

Ikebana for Kids
1pm & 2pm, Sunday 1 September 2019
Duration: 45 min
Venue: Rosina Auditorium
Age: Year 1 - Year 6
Fee: $25
Booking: http://bit.ly/IkebanaConventKids

Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival

http://www.shoso.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Sunday 18 August 2019


Thursday 15 August 2019


Saturday 10 August 2019


Wednesday 7 August 2019

Melbourne Ikebana Festival Update





Event Details

Wa: Ikebana Exhibition (Free) 
Curator: Rachel Iampolski 
11am - 5pm, Saturday 31 August 2019
10am - 5pm, Sunday 1 September 2019
Rosina Auditorium, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
https://abbotsfordconvent.com.au/visit/visitor-information

Wa: Ikebana Exhibition Opening (Private Function)
10am - 11am, Saturday 31 August 2019
Invitation Only

Wa Ikebana Award - Application Closed
The winner of the Wa Ikebana Award 2019 will be announced during the opening ceremony.

Wadaiko Rindo Performance - New Event 
About 10:45 am, Saturday 31 August 2019
Free
Enjoy a great performance by the most popular Japanese drumming group in Australia.
https://wadaikorindo.com/ 

Wa: Ikebana Exhibition Artists' Talk (Free)
11am - 12:00pm, Saturday 31 August 2019
Rosina Auditorium
MC: Takako Routledge
Admission Free
Booking: https://www.trybooking.com/BDQEZ
Please note:
1. The number of tickets for Artists Talk is very limited.
2. If you could not obtain a ticket online, you may be asked to wait for a while to form a new group. Please follow advice from our floor managing staff. Your safety is our first priority. 
3. If it is too crowded, however, please come back to Rosina after 1pm to enjoy our exhibition. Abbotsford Convent has several art galleries, beautiful garden, and nice cafes. 
4. If you have any question, please ask our friendly staff at the reception desk.      

Wa: Ikebana Demonstration - Over 90% tickets sold
12pm - 1:00pm, Saturday 31 August 2019
Rosina Auditorium
MC: Shoan Lo
Fee: $5
Booking: https://www.trybooking.com/BDQES
Six demonstrators will create Ikebana works in 6 min. each. We are pleased to announce that Ms Kagawa, Professor in Ichiyo School, from Tokyo will be one of the presenters. Other presenters include Sandra Marker (Sogetsu NSW), Shoan LoShokai IkebanaAkemi Suzuki Aileen (Shoto) Duke. Many of our demonstrators are members of Wa Melbourne Ikebana Festival Committee. We appreciate their hard work for this festival. We are fortunate to have an anonymous sponsor for this demonstration.
Please note:
1. The number of tickets for Ikebana Demonstration is very limited. About 40 seats only.
2. If you could not obtain a ticket online, you may watch the demo standing (no seat available on the day). Please follow advice from our floor managing staff. Your safety is our first priority. 
3. If it is too crowded, however, please come back to Rosina after 1pm to enjoy our exhibition & the works created by our demonstrators. Abbotsford Convent has several art galleries, beautiful garden, and nice cafes. 

Ikebana Workshops for Beginners
1-5pm, Saturday 31 August 2019 - Ichiyo School
10am-5pm, Sunday 1 September 2019 - Sogetsu School Shoso Shimbo Group
Duration: 50 min
Venue: Yellow Room, Rosina (Yellow Room is next to Rosina Auditorium)
Fee: $35 per person
Father's Day Special ($60 for 2) & Father's Day Family Tickets ($100 for 4) Available 
Booking: http://bit.ly/IkebanaConvent 

Ikebana Conference - New Event!
Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival is pleased to host a regular conference of the International Society of Ikebana Studies国際いけ花学会 ). 
Shoso Shimbo will talk about "Influence of the Western Modernism on Perception of Nature in Ikebana: A New Interpretation of Ikenobo Senno Kuden (1542) and Its Hidden Link to the Rise of Free Style Ikebana in the Modern Japan"
9am - 10am, Sunday 1 September 2019
Fee: $10
Booking: https://www.trybooking.com/BEKXZ

Ikebana for Kids
1pm & 2pm, Sunday 1 September 2019
Duration: 45 min
Venue: Rosina Auditorium
Age: Year 1 - Year 6
Fee: $25
Booking: http://bit.ly/IkebanaConventKids

Ikebana Performance with live Music - Over 85% tickets Sold 
7pm - 8pm, Saturday 31 August 2019
Salon, Melbourne Recital Centre
Booking: http://bit.ly/IkebanaGrigoryan
Shoso Shimbo will create an Ikebana installation with live music by the internationally renowned Grigoryan Brothers.
Details: https://waikebana.blogspot.com/2019/03/ikebana-performance-at-wa.html



http://www.shoso.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Saturday 3 August 2019


Friday 2 August 2019

Ikebana Conference at Melbourne Ikebana Festival


Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival is pleased to host a regular conference of the International Society of Ikebana Studies国際いけ花学会 ). 

Shoso Shimbo will talk about "Influence of the Western Modernism on Perception of Nature in Ikebana: A New Interpretation of Ikenobo Senno Kuden (1542) and Its Hidden Link to the Rise of Free Style Ikebana in the Modern Japan"

When: 9am - 10am, Sunday 1 September 2019
Where: Rosina Auditorium, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
Fee: $10
Booking: https://www.trybooking.com/BEKXZ

http://www.shoso.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Wednesday 24 July 2019


Monday 22 July 2019

Events Calendar



1 July 2019: Booking is open for Artists Talk and Ikebana Demonstration at Wa. https://melbikebana.blogspot.com/p/programs.html

July 2019: Ikebana Gallery Award 2019, Semifinalists were announced. http://ikebanaaustralia.blogspot.com.au

4 August 2019: Deadline for joining Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival (individual participant). Join Melbourne Ikebana Festival as an exhibitor. https://melbikebana.blogspot.com/
メルボルンの花展に出展しませんか?

August 2019: Ikebana Gallery Award 2019 will be announced.

14 August 2019: Japanese Aesthetics - From Ikebana to Contemporary Art. RMIT Short Courses. 

31 August & 1 September 2019: Wa - Melbourne Ikebana Festival, Abbotsford Convent. Ikebana exhibition, award, workshops, performances, demos & ikebana market etc.   

31 August 2019: Ikebana Performance with the Grigoryan Brothers
Melbourne Recital Centre

30 September 2019: Deadline for submitting essay for International Journal of Ikebana Studies.
Would you like to get your ikebana essay published?
国際いけ花学会では日本語あるいは英語のエッセーを募集中です。


http://www.shoso.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Sunday 21 July 2019

Wa Ikebana Award


An international ikebana award for newly qualified ikebana teachers 

The Wa Ikebana Award will specifically support new teachers with limited teaching experience. This will be a great addition to your cv.

Application Deadline: 4 August 2019
Prize: Aus $100 & Certificate

http://www.shoso.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia


Friday 5 July 2019

All Programs Are Now Open for Booking - Melbourne Ikebana Festival


Event Details

Please visit http://bit.ly/BookingWa for the latest update. 

Wa: Ikebana Exhibition (Free) 
Curator: Rachel Iampolski 
11am - 5pm, Saturday 31 August 2019
10am - 5pm, Sunday 1 September 2019
Rosina Auditorium, Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
https://abbotsfordconvent.com.au/visit/visitor-information

Wa: Ikebana Exhibition Opening (Private Function)
10am - 11am, Saturday 31 August 2019
Invitation Only

Wa Ikebana Award
The winner of the Wa Ikebana Award 2019 will be announced during the opening ceremony.

Wa: Ikebana Exhibition Artists' Talk (Free)
11am - 12:00pm, Saturday 31 August 2019
Rosina Auditorium
MC: Takako Routledge
Admission Free
Booking: https://www.trybooking.com/BDQEZ
Please note:
1. The number of tickets for Artists Talk is very limited.
2. If you could not obtain a ticket online, you may be able to see Artists Talk from a distance. Please follow advice from our floor managing staff. Your safety is our first priority. 
3. If it is too crowded, however, please come back to Rosina after 1pm to enjoy our exhibition. Abbotsford Convent has several art galleries, beautiful garden, and nice cafes. 
4. If you have any question, please ask our friendly staff at the reception desk.      

Wa: Ikebana Demonstration
12pm - 1:00pm, Saturday 31 August 2019
Rosina Auditorium
MC: Shoan Lo
Fee: $5
Booking: https://www.trybooking.com/BDQES
Eight demonstrators will create Ikebana works in 6 min. each. We are pleased to announce that Ms Kagawa, Professor in Ichiyo School, from Tokyo will be one of the presenters. Other presenters include Shoan LoShokai Ikebana & Aileen (Shoto) Duke. Many of our demonstrators are members of Wa Melbourne Ikebana Festival Committee. We appreciate their hard work for this festival. We are fortunate to have an anonymous sponsor for this demonstration.
Please note:
1. The number of tickets for Ikebana Demonstration is very limited. About 40 seats only.
2. If you could not obtain a ticket online, you may be able to buy a ticket ($2 standing only, no seat available) on the day. The number of those tickets is limited. Please follow advice from our floor managing staff. Your safety is our first priority. 
3. If it is too crowded, however, please come back to Rosina after 1pm to enjoy our exhibition & the works created by our demonstrators. Abbotsford Convent has several art galleries, beautiful garden, and nice cafes. 

Ikebana Performance with live Music
7pm - 8pm, Saturday 31 August 2019
Salon, Melbourne Recital Centre
Booking: http://bit.ly/IkebanaGrigoryan
Shoso Shimbo will create an Ikebana installation with live music by the internationally renowned Grigoryan Brothers.
Details: https://waikebana.blogspot.com/2019/03/ikebana-performance-at-wa.html

Ikebana Workshops for Beginners
1-5pm, Saturday 31 August 2019 - Ichiyo School
10am-5pm, Sunday 1 September 2019 - Sogetsu School Shoso Shimbo Group
Duration: 50 min
Venue: Yellow Room, Rosina (Yellow Room is next to Rosina Auditorium)
Fee: $35 per person
Booking: http://bit.ly/IkebanaConvent 

Ikebana for Kids
1pm & 2pm, Sunday 1 September 2019
Duration: 45 min
Venue: Rosina Auditorium
Age: Year 1 - Year 6
Fee: $25
Booking: http://bit.ly/IkebanaConventKids

http://www.shoso.com.au 
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Tuesday 2 July 2019


Saturday 29 June 2019

Booking will be open for Artists Talk & Demo soon


On 1 July 2019 booking will be open for Artists Talk and Ikebana Demonstration at Wa. https://waikebana.blogspot.com/p/program.html

Please note that booking is required for all the programs except exhibition. Please don’t assume that exhibitors will have free access to all the programs. Visit programs page for the details. 

http://www.shoso.com.au 
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Events Calendar


28 June 2019: Deadline for joining Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival (individual participant). Join Melbourne Ikebana Festival as an exhibitor. https://waikebana.blogspot.com/
メルボルンの花展に出展しませんか?

30 June 2019: Deadline for the Ikebana Gallery Award 2019.
生け花学習者ならどなたでも無料で簡単に参加できる生け花コンクール。

30 June 2019: Deadline for application for Ikebana Gallery Award (IGA) Committee
生け花ギャラリー賞ではボランティアの運営委員を募集中です。

1 July 2019: Booking is open for Artists Talk and Ikebana Demonstration at Wa. https://waikebana.blogspot.com/p/program.html  

July 2019: Ikebana Gallery Award 2019, Semifinalists will be announced. http://ikebanaaustralia.blogspot.com.au

August 2019: Ikebana Gallery Award 2019 will be announced.

14 August 2019: Japanese Aesthetics - From Ikebana to Contemporary Art. RMIT Short Courses. 

31 August & 1 September 2019: Wa - Melbourne Ikebana Festival, Abbotsford Convent. Ikebana exhibition, award, workshops, performances, demos & ikebana market etc.   

31 August 2019: Ikebana Performance with the Grigoryan Brothers
Melbourne Recital Centre

30 September 2019: Deadline for submitting essay for International Journal of Ikebana Studies.
Would you like to get your ikebana essay published?
国際いけ花学会では日本語あるいは英語のエッセーを募集中です。


http://www.shoso.com.au 
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia

Sunday 23 June 2019

Wa Exhibitor: Shoso Shimbo


Shoso Shimbo is one of the exhibitors at Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival. waikebana.blogspot.com

Shoso Shimbo PhD is an artist with over 30 years experience in Ikebana. He was selected as one of “Australia’s top floral designers” (Belle) and has won multiple awards including the Gold Award at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show. He is the Arnold Bloch Leiber Prize winner at the Yering Station Sculpture 2017. His recent commissions include a public work of art for the Archibald Award Exhibition 2015 and the Wye River Project 2016.

Shoso is a directer of International Society of Ikebana StudiesIkebana Gallery Award and he teaches Japanese Aesthetics at RMIT Short Courses. He is the Secretary-General of Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival 2019. He presents Ikebana performance with the Grigoryan Brothers at Melbourne Recital Centre as part of Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival 2019.

Shoso has an MA in Japanese Studies, a Master of Fine Art and PhD in Education.

< Solo Exhibition>
2013 Distilling Nature: Master of Fine Art Project, MADA Project Gallery, Monash University

<Ikebana Exhibitions (Selected)>
2018 Wa: Ikebana Exhibition (since 2015)
2014 Ikebana Exhibition - Shoso Shimbo Group (since 2009)

<Curated Group Exhibitions (Selected)>
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
2013 Deakin University Small Contemporary Sculpture Award Finalists Exhibition
2012 Annual Sculpture Exhibition, Toyota Community Spirit Gallery (since 2010)
2012 Glen Eira Artists' Exhibition, Glen Eira City Council Gallery
2012 Lorne Sculpture

<Commissioned Works / Special Displays (Selected)>
2018 Biennale of Australian Art (BOAA)
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
2005 Melbourne Fashion Festival, Mural Hall & Shop windows, Myer, City

<Awards (Selected)>
2019 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, Silver Award in Shop Window Display Competition
2017 The Arnold Bloch Leiber Prize at the Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition
2006 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (Gold Award)

<Publication (Selected)>
2016 Environmental Art and Ikebana, International Journal of Ikebana Studies (IJIS), 4, pp. 27-38.
2015 Flowers in Contemporary Art, International Journal of Ikebana Studies (IJIS), 3, pp.11-19.
2015 Ikebana to Contemporary Art: Rosalie Gascoigne, The IAFOR Academic Review, Vol.1, Issue 2, pp.16-20.   
2014 Ikebana in English: Bibliographical Essay, International Journal of Ikebana Studies (IJIS), 2, pp.99-107.
2013 Hiroshi Teshigahara in the Expanded Field of Ikebana, The International Journal of Ikebana Studies, 1, p.31-52.

<Conference Papers (Selected)>                                                             
2018 Creativity & Education: Environmental Art as a Vehicle of Message. Central de Studii European, Facultatea de Drept, Universitatea Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Co-funded by the Erasmus + Programme of the European Union, April 17, Iasi, Romania.
2018 Environmental Art as Public Art. Creating Utopia Conference 2018 Sponsored by Deakin University, Lorne Sculpture Biennale, 22-25th March, Qdos Arts Lorne.
2018 Japanese Aesthetics and Environmental Art. The Asian Conference on Arts and Humanities, The International Academic Forum. March 30 - April 1, Kobe Japan.
2017 Transition of Environmental Art: In Search of the Strategies for Sustainability. The Asian Conference on Arts and Humanities, The International Academic Forum. March 30 - April 2, Kobe, Japan.
2015 Power in the Discourse of Art: Ephemeral Arts as Counter-monuments and Beyond, The Sixth Asian Conference on Arts and Humanities. The International Academic Forum. April 2-4, Osaka, Japan.
2013 Ikebana to Contemporary Art: Cross Cultural Transformation in Rosalie Gascoigne, The Asian Conference on Cultural Studies. The International Academic Forum. May 24-26, Osaka, Japan.

Instagram: shoso_shimbo

Tuesday 18 June 2019

Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival Update


Ikebana Performance with the Grigoryan Brothers (Melbourne Recital Centre): Over 50% of tickets sold. http://bit.ly/IkebanaGrigoryan

Ikebana Workshops (Adults & Kids class): Booking sites are ready!
http://bit.ly/IkebanaConvent Kids Class http://bit.ly/IkebanaConventKids
Ikebana Demonstration & Artists Talk: Please book from 1 July 2019. https://waikebana.blogspot.com/p/program.html

Would you like to exhibit your ikebana work at Melbourne Ikebana Festival?
Application will close on 30 June 2019. https://waikebana.blogspot.com/p/exhibitor.html

http://www.shoso.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/ikebanaaustralia