Ikebana Installations for the
Great East Japan Earthquake Memorial Event
(March 5-7, 2012 and March 8-9, 2012)
Display Case Installation
Courtesy of Jennie Sterling
Two ikebana displays have been generously provided for our office by Ms. Jennie Sterling, of the Sogetsu School of ikebana, and Ms. Hiroko Kono, a practitioner of the Ikenobo School. Ms. Sterling provided the installation in our display case, utilizing a free form of expression with the ‘wave’ of the container representing the March 11, 2011 tsunami, the mauve blossoms representing loss and mourning, and cherry blossoms representing new life and rebuilding.
On display March 5-7, Ms. Kono’s arrangement is a modernized example of the well-established Rikka (lit. "standing flowers") style, incorporating all seven elements of a Rikka arrangement (shin, shin-kakushi, soe, soe-uke, mikoshi, nagashi, and maeoki) but with some non-traditional flower varieties.
Front Entrance Installation
Courtesy of Hiroko Kono
Side Installation
Courtesy of Elaine Jo
For March 8-9, Ichiyo school practitioners Elaine Jo and her student Pia Nilsson contributed two arrangements for the Consulate-General of Japan. Ms. Jo’s arrangement, hewing closer to a late-winter feel than that of spring, utilizes pine and Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick to provide the overall structure of the work, while yellow lilies accentuate with color.
Ms. Nilsson’s arrangement focuses on conveying the image of Japan through the colors of the Japanese flag. White Spirea and red tulips in the middle are reminiscent of the flag’s design, and the use of a wooden container emphasizes the “re-growth” of Japan after the March 11 disasters.
Side Installation
Courtesy of Pia Nilsson