The Power of Japanese Flowers: Mindfulnes through Ikebana
What will you gain from the workshop?
Testimonials
Future
“I love colour and vibrancy, and I was drawn to the idea of creating something that really stands out and has a strong presence.”
Oskar
“I really liked the horizontal aspect of the demonstration, which is why I chose this branch. I was also drawn to the yellow because we hung an artwork at home this morning that had yellow in it. After exploring some green, fluffy materials, I realised I also really liked the bottle brush.”
Brenda
“Thank you so much for explaining the history. I found it really valuable. In terms of my arrangement, I was drawn to the structural elements, particularly the idea of the branch protecting the other elements. Initially, I thought I would keep to just a couple of colours, like yellow and white, but then I felt that might be a little too cool, so I wanted to explore something more.”
Lisa
“The history of the Japanese shogun was fascinating. The idea of a fully rounded individual goes back to Greek philosophy, where being educated and physically fit were equally important aspects of a person's development.”
Nigel
“It brought back memories of coming here to the salon in Melbourne a few years ago, perhaps four years back, when a pianist was improvising during a performance while Shoso was creating something quite extraordinary.”
Madeleine
“I didn't have many words going through my head, but I was really enjoying the idea of the triangle and how it could feel so grounded while still maintaining the airiness of the branches.”
Rehana
“To begin with, I felt really confident. I thought, ‘Who can't make a triangle?’ But then you put your first two pieces in and suddenly you lose all that confidence. Your mind goes blank. There's the guessing, the uncertainty and the not knowing. And then, at some point, something shifts and you just know. I don't know how that happens, but suddenly you find it.”
Francis
“Shoso explained the origins of ikebana, and I wanted to express the samurai, the confusion, the chaos and the fighting. But that time has passed. Five hundred years ago, things began to change, and women started to take over the art. I found that history really interesting.”
Justine
“I actually studied ikebana when I lived in Japan, but I never really understood what the teacher was teaching. I would have a go at arranging the flowers, and she would come along, take everything out and redo it. Eventually, I just cut out the middleman and let her do it!
“But today was the first time I feel I've truly learned about ikebana. I loved creating my triangle, creating my burst and learning to see things differently. I love symmetry, so it was wonderful to be challenged and to question my Western ideas about symmetry.”
Shayne
“Uncovering the mystery of the combination, trying different things and knowing that the answer is somewhere there. And then suddenly, click! It looks right. You realise that this was what was always there, just waiting for you to discover it. I loved discovering that through the process, and I loved discovering something about myself, too.”
Anitha
“I've done flower arrangements before, but this was my first time doing ikebana. I'm someone who likes to plan everything step by step, so this morning I watched a few YouTube videos to try to understand what ikebana was all about.
“But as I watched, I started to realise that I wasn't going to learn this from videos. It's such an intuitive process. You don't know what you're going to make or what the final result will be. And I thought,‘Okay, excellent! I love this. This is going to be fun!’”
Audrey
“The process was very calming. Whenever I consulted Shoso, he would start by asking, ‘Whereis your triangle? Where is your focus?’ He really helped me identify my focal points, particularlythe yellow elements, and showed me what I could remove to make the triangle more visible.”
Joy
“I was quite apprehensive about making an arrangement because I'm not naturally a very creative person in that way. But I knew I wanted to use the branches because I find them very grounding. I was also drawn to the leaves and especially the yellow, which really spoke to me.”
