Vessel of Life

Hanging installation with Kokedama at Metascent, Collingwood, Victoria. 

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Shoso at the Melbourne Flower Show 2019 - Stage 3

The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show ends tomorrow (31 March 2019). Shoso and several other Wa participants joined the show to promote Wa: Melbourne Ikebana Festival.

Stage 1 & 2
Brief

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Shoso at Two Contemporary Art Exhibitions

Shoso Shimbo's works have been selected for the two prestigious contemporary art exhibitions.

21 September - 6 November 2018: Biennale of Australian Art. Shoso was selected as one of the top 150 artists of the nation for the biennale. Shoso’s artist residency is form 13 to 19 October. http://www.boaa.net.au Visit Ballarat and enjoy this great art festival and see Shoso’s installation at the Mining Exchange.

28 October - 9 December 2018: Yarra Valley Arts / Yering Station Sculpture Exhibition and Awards 2018. Shoso Shimbo was selected as a finalist for the award. https://www.yering.com/visit-yering-station/art-gallery/

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Shoso's work at BOAA till 6 November 2018

Plastic Tainai Kuguri by Shoso Shimbo at The Mining Exchange, Ballarat as part of BOAA till 6 November 2018.

This work focuses on the issue of plastic pollution. The installation, made of plastic waste, invites viewers to interact with the work and was inspired by the Tainai Kuguri (passing through the womb) in Japan. Tainai Kuguri is a rite of passage through a site such as a cave or the interior of a Buddhist statue symbolising rebirth and a fresh start. 
https://www.boaa.net.au
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Shoso at BOAA

Bring your plastic wastes (plastic bags, wrapping etc.) and attach them to Shoso’s installation, Plastic Tainai Kuguri at BOAA.

Just meditate how much we produce plastic wastes in a day (or in a week), and imagine a better way while walking through a Tainai (womb).

When: 10am - 3pm, 13 - 19 October 2018
Where: The Mining Exchange, Ballarat
Booking for School Group: shososhimbo@gmail.com

Shoso Shimbo at BOAA: http://bit.ly/ShosoBOAA

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Keeper of Water: At the Lorne Sculpture Biennale 2018

Originally inspired by Daniel McCormick’s watershed sculpture, this project, a storm water filtering dam, is a small scale environmental sculpture using organic materials. It symbolises a desire to protect our waterways. The aim of this kind of organic dam is to slow, filter and cleanse the water (through sand bags, willow branches and charcoal) before it joins the river. Being made of organic and biodegradable materials, the sculpture would eventually become a part of its environment. This project encourage community members to join in production, learning how to recycle natural wastes to create a practical solution to environmental problems.

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Sea snakes: Trash vortexes at the Lorne Sculpture 2018

Go and see Shoso Shimbo's floating & flashing sculpture, Sea snakes at the Lorne Sculpture Biennale, 17 March - 2 April 2018. Sea snakes is one of the two entries by Shoso and was supported by so many people. Thank you, Ming Loo, Hide Hanashima, students of Star of the Sea college, Shoso's ikebana students, David McKenzie, Graeme Wilkie and many more.       

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Ikebana Today 45

I have been arguing that the most important factor in contemporary art is meaning. The meaning is often produced through the contexts of the artwork. To show how artwork can create meaning, I use my own work created to celebrate the Archibald Prize Exhibition 2015 at the Art Galley of Ballarat. 

My original inspiration come from Self Portraits by Frida Kahlo (1907-1954). In her works Frida herself is in the midst of lush green foliage, flowers, birds and monkeys. It seems to me that the forest behind her represents an ideal state of spiritual freedom that is in contrast to her physically tormented reality. The role of nature in these works resonated for me as I am always interested in the relationship between humans and the natural world. 

I chose chicken wire to create a head, which in some ways resembles a cage. The chicken wire as well as the metal frame within creates a separation between the inner space and the unlimited freedom outside the work. In the back of my mind I also had some images of refugees who are sometimes kept in cage like circumstances, dreaming of the freedom that lies outside the cage. Although birds are usually kept inside a wire cage, you may see them enjoying themselves outside the cage in this work.  

After overcoming many obstacles in making this work, I was relieved to hear so much positive feedback. Following success in this project, I am fortunate to be commissioned to create another large work for the Lorne Sculpture in March 2016.

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Ikebana Today 44

I have been writing about contemporary art, particularly about how important it is to have meaning, which depends on the context of the work. The question now is what is context? Takashi Murakami wrote an excellent book on the subject, “Geijutsu Tosoron”. Terry Barrett, in his book Making Art (2011), says that intrinsic context mainly refers to “the juxtaposition of parts within the whole and the meanings they evoke through proximity to one another”(p.16). Extrinsic context includes the life history of the artist, “the time and place in which the work is made” (p.17), and the art history.

I will try to follow the way that Murakami explained the concept of context in his book. Although I’m aware that this is not the best sample, I will talk about the sculpture I made to promote the Archibald exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ballarat in 2015.

This was a great challenge for me, particularly because the request was to make a human head. I have never made a human head before. Ikebana is mainly about abstract forms. Even Kiku Ningyo do not try to make human heads with flowers. When I made a test work, I was disappointed to realised that I could not do this. However, then I though, why shouldn’t I enjoy this rare opportunity without worrying about what other people think about my work? I decided to use a different strategy. When I attached some irregular massed wire balls, the face started to look alive. I thought this might work.

What was the context of this work? I’ll follow this up in the next issue.

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Shoso's works at Mondopiero

Enjoy Shoso Shimbo's works at Mondopiero.
Top: Vertical garden
Middle: Floating bamboo forest
Bottom: Ikebana sculpture at the cafe

Where: 28 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
www.mondopiero.com.au

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Installation for Archibald Prize Exhibition 4: Breaking Down

Finally, it's over. While I was working to break down my installation, I noticed that many birds were looking at me. I left some food for them.

I have been asked to create another installation for Ballarat Begonia Festival next year. I am pleased to know that my work was so popular! Thank you many people I met in Ballarat for great support and encouragement.    

If you would like to hire this metal framework, please concat Shoso.

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Installation for Archibald Prize Exhibition 3 (Completed!)

My work will be on display till the end of Archibald Prize Exhibition 2015 at the Art Gallery of Ballarat. http://archibaldballarat.com.au

I'd like to thank the following people for their genenrous support:

Julie Collins, Daniel Henderson, Robert Kienbaum and the staff of the Art & Culture section, City of Ballarat,

Mark & Carolyn Guirguis,

The staff at the Art Gallery of Ballarat,

The staff and artists at the Backspace Gallery,

The Pickles Container cafe,
Ballarat Botanical Gardens,

My assistants, Margaret Meran Trail, Jo Greenthaner & Julie Shimbo 

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Installation for Archibald Prize Exhibition 2

Week 2 (11 October 2015): Shoso Shimbo's installation for Archibald Prize Exhibition at Art Gallery of Ballarat. His work will evolve in next 2 weeks. http://archibaldballarat.com.au

Cage (Bird of paradise / Paradise of birds)

Shoso Shimbo

In creating this work to celebrate the Archibald Prize Exhibition, the question I asked myself was “how can I, as an Ikebana artist, pay homage to the most significant portraiture award in Australia?” 

My original inspiration come from Self Portraits by Frida Kahlo (1907-1954). In her works Frida herself is in the midst of lush green foliage, flowers, birds and monkeys. It seems to me that the forest behind her represents an ideal state of spiritual freedom that is in contrast to her physically tormented reality. The role of nature in these works resonated for me as I am always interested in the relationship between humans and the natural world.   

I chose chicken wire to create a head, which in some ways resembles a cage. The chicken wire as well as the metal frame within creates a separation between the inner space and the unlimited freedom outside the work. Are we restricted by the reality of our physical being or can we allow our imagination to take us outside our cages and into the forest of our spirituality? In the back of my mind I also had some images of refugees who are sometimes kept in cage like circumstances, dreaming of the freedom that lies outside the cage. 

Although birds are usually kept inside a wire cage, you may see them enjoying themselves outside the cage in this work.    

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Installation for Archibald Prize Exhibition 1

Week 1 (4 October 2015): Shoso Shimbo's installation for Archibald Prize Exhibition at Art Gallery of Ballarat. His work will evolve in next 3 weeks. http://archibaldballarat.com.au

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Ikebana Today 30

We have been thinking what ikebana (a style of Ikebana in the Muromachi period) is. It seems to mean making flower alive. Does it mean whether to make dead flowers revive or to make dying flowers live longer?

This is actually a really important question. Considering that so little is known and much research is needed in the historical of Ikebana, we may need to propose a bold hypothesis to answer to the question.

A highly regarded Ikebana researcher, Yuzo Yamane pointed out three cultural factors that contributed to the birth of Ikebana in the Muromachi period: aristocrat factor, Buddhism and Shinto factor, and Samurai factor. Combination of there factors are thought to have contributed to the development of Ikebana.      

However, I’m not satisfied with his theory. Assuming that Ikebana is related to the fundamental factors in Japanese culture, I have to propose my own hypothesis regarding the origin of Ikebana in the next issue. 

This month I would like to show my installation, the Sacred Tree that I made for the new arcade in Upper West Side, Melbourne in July this year. Although the idea of Shimenawa—a maker for a sacred space in Shinto—was behind this work, many commented that it was like a Christmas tree. I don’t mind about such interpretations.    

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Ikebana Today 28

We have been trying to find out what Ikebana is. Historically ikebana was a style of Ikebana (Ikebana as a general term for Japanese flower arrangement). It was contradiction to Takehana, the main stream of Ikebana but it seems to have something essential about Ikebana. Then, what is the essence of Ikebana? 

Let’s  look at the word “ikebana” more carefully. The word consists of ike and bana. Bana means flowers. What is ike(ru)? The original form of ikeru is a verb, iku, which has three basic meanings: 1. to make alive, 2. to do ikebana, 3. to bury (plants), etc. The first one is the oldest and closest to the original meaning of the word. 

So ikebana originally means to make flowers alive. We could imagine someone was arranging flowers around 15th century in a new fashion thinking “I am not making flower upright like Tatehana. I am making flowers alive. Let’s call what I am creating ikebana”. We now have to think what does it mean to make flowers alive. 

This month I’d like to show you my Christmas installation, Magical Tunnel  commissioned by the city of Ballarat in 2013. It is covered with solar lights and people can walk through the illumination at night. My task was to recycle the Christmas decorations and wastes from the previous years. To recycle them I had to break them down into smaller units and rearrange them into a new form. That process was very similar to Ikebana, breaking down natural materials and rearrange them in a harmonious order. This work was chosen as the most popular Christmas art work by the people of the city.     

    

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Lights On Lights Off

Shoso Shimbo was selected as one of the eight artists commissioned for the Lights On | Lights Off project.

When: 26, 27 and 31 July 2014
Where: Upper West Side, 220 Spencer St (Corner Spencer and Lt Bourke St), Melbourne CBD https://www.facebook.com/events/310240079143296/

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Ikebana Today 23

What is Ikebana? It may take a while to come up with a good definition.
Let’s start by looking at an official definition by Kojien. Ikebana is “making a decoration for a room by inserting branches, leaves and/or flowers cut from plants into a vase with water.” It is so simple but don’t you think that something essential is missing in this? We will come back to this definition at another time.

However, note that it points out the following three important factors in Ikebana. 1. It uses materials taken from plants. 2. It gives water to the plant materials. Plant material, containers, and water are the three essential components of Ikebana. 3. It is a decoration. This is a functional aspect of Ikebana. Therefore, good Ikebana means good decoration. I think it is important to start from this kind of basic definition in order to explore further what Ikebana is. 

This is one of the works I made for “Passage,” a collaborative Ikebana performance with Yumi Umiumare as part of Melbourne Now at the National Gallery of Victoria. While I was making two large works, Yumi danced about the passage from this word to the other world for one hour. 

Ikebana literally means to make flowers alive. We cannot make living flowers alive. That is not logical. We can make only dead flower alive. Ikebana is to give new life to cut flowers, which are in a sense dead flowers. The process of creating Ikebana is a metaphor for the spiritual passage, which our performance was all about. I’ll talk about this aspect of Ikebana more in detail sometime soon.  

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Lorne Sculpture Biennale

Shoso Shimbo was one of the 20 artists selected for the Scupturescape in the Lorne Sculpture Biennale 2014.

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Shoso at the National Gallery Victoria

Shoso created a large Ikebana work, Flower Torii Gate for the Greater Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere Project, a part of the the Next Wave Art Festival.
When: 17 to 27 May 2012
Where: The NGV Studio, Flinders St, Federation Square, Melbourne City

Message from the artist who is in charge of the project

Hi Shoso,

I would like to take this opportunity to issue a warm thanks on behalf of Abdul, Casey and myself for being part of The Greater Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere with us. It's been an absolute pleasure to showcase your talents and you've been so gracious with your time and company. The flower gate and you're demonstration pieces really add an invaluable dimension to the work and we couldn't imagine the space without them.

 I hope you were happy with the demonstration yesterday, as we felt that the whole day was a complete success across a broad range of demographics. We wanted to make sure you knew how much we appreciated your contributions to the project and do hope you come to visit the project this Friday at the closing ceremony if you are free.

Many thanks and kind regards,

Nathan 


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