Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Los Angeles to provide demonstration at Japanese American National Museum on June 22, 2008 as part of ‘Living Flowers’ exhibition

 

 

A representative of the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Los

Angeles works on an arrangement which is part of the Japanese American

National Museum's exhibition, Living Flowers: Ikebana and Contemporary Art.)

 

 

LOS ANGELES—The Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Los Angeles, one of the three

local Japanese flower arranging schools creating and maintaining

installations as part of the Japanese American National Museum’s exhibition,

Living Flowers: Ikebana and Contemporary Art, will give a demonstration on

Sunday, June 22, beginning at 2 p.m., at the National Museum in Little

Tokyo.

 

Living Flowers is an innovative exhibition that features traditional

Japanese flower arrangements by the masters of Ikenobo, Ohara and Sogetsu

schools of ikebana along with cutting-edge contemporary art by such well

known artists as Isamu Noguchi and Robert Mapplethorpe. Each of the schools

is creating and maintaining four arrangements for the length of the

exhibition, which runs through September 7.

 

The Ikenobo school is the oldest ikebana tradition, evolving out of the

Buddhist custom of placing flowers on altars. Ikenobo refers to the name of

the buildings associated with the Shiunzan Chohoji or Rokkakudo Temple in

Kyoto, as well as the name of the family that has served in succeeding

generations as head priests of the temple.

 

Ikenobo masters developed the rikka style, which included seven essential elements, in the late 16th Century. The Ikenobo Ikebana Society of America has chapters throughout the country, including Los Angeles, and the Ikenobo school, headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, has branches in over 30 countries. Under headmaster Sen’ei

Ikenobo, the 45th generation Ikenobo headmaster, the school’s work presents

a bright, modern feeling.

 

The Sogetsu Los Angeles Branch will provide their own demonstration on

Sunday, July 20, at 2 p.m. and the Ohara School of Ikebana Los Angeles

Chapter will present on Sunday, August 24, at 2 p.m. All these programs are

free to National Museum members or with general admission.

 

For more information, call the Japanese American National Museum at (213) 625-0414 or go to www.janm.org