The wonderful thing about being in Japan is that there are many ikebana-related events happening year-round.
We were fortunate to be in Tokyo when the Ohara Ikebana exhibition was happening at the Takashimaya Shinjuku department store (Apr 11-16, 2024).
Please enjoy some of the exquisite works at the exhibition!
After 2 years of not being able to really go out and about, we were very happy to be able to present a live ikebana exhibition once again! For sure, many ikebana artists continued to publish their floral arrangements online during the pandemic (including our own virtual exhibition last year!) but there is always that extra dimension when the arrangements are in front of us. We can feel the depth, switch angles, and even smell the subtle scents! And so we were ecstatic when the Halifax Central Library approached us for a collaboration. This exhibition was held on May 13th-15th, 2022, as part of the Asian Heritage Month celebrations,
Our special thanks to Kassondra Torraville, Regional Programming Lead for the Halifax Central Library for her wonderful support. The planning had gone very smoothly!
Our thanks to our students who gave their time, effort and talents to this exhibition: Leo A, Media C, Michelle C, Odessa G, Lyla H, Robert L, Susan R, and Val S. We hope the experience has been as rewarding for you as it has been for us.!
Arrangement by Leo Artalejo
Variation No. 1 Upright Style Nageire
Arrangement by Media Chalabi 美虹 (“Miko”)
Free-style: “Hope”
Arrangement by Michelle Ciach
Variation No. 4 Slanting Style Nageire
Arrangement by Odessa Godbold
Free-style
Arrangement by Lyla Hage
Variation No. 1 Slanting Style Moribana
Arrangement by Robert Lee
Variation No. 5 Upright Style Moribana
Arrangement by Susan Roberson
Free-style
The vase was made by Lunenburg-based NS pottery artist Jason Remai.
Arrangement by Val Spencer
Free-style: “One Flower, One Branch”
Arrangements by Miyako Ballesteros
“Red and Black”
“Welcome Flower”
Joint Arrangement by Val Spencer & Miyako Ballesteros
This work sat atop 2 tall shelves and was designed to be viewed from a low angle.
Photo credit: Susan Robertson
Some of the people behind this exhibition. Sorry we did not get a chance to get everyone together!
Photo credit: Susan Robertson
Every year the St. Mary’s University community shares its creativity through the annual FASS (Faculty, Alumni, Student, Staff) exhibits at the St. Mary’s University Art Gallery.
(Poster from the SMU Art Gallery website.)
In collaboration with Dr. Linda Campbell, professor at the Department of Environmental Science, we had the chance to present ikebana at the 2019 FASS exhibit. Linda has been learning ikebana with Miyako since 2016. She had missed participating in our most recent exhibit at the Keshen Goodman Library last May; so, it was quite opportune that SMU Art Gallery was able to allocate space for ikebana.
Arrangement by Miyako.
The ikebana portion of FASS 2019 ran from Dec 3rd to 7th, 2019.
Arrangements by Dr. Linda Campbell.
….and a fun selfie of the people behind the works: Miyako and Linda.
Last but certainly not least, a big thank-you to Robin Metcalfe, director/curator and Adam Myatt for your kind assistance and patience to make this possible!
Connecting - An Ikebana Exhibition was held on June 1-2, 2019 at the Lunenburg Library in the historic town of Lunenburg, on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. Founded in 1773, the town itself is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its narrow streets and well-preserved architecture. It is also the birthplace of the famed Bluenose, a racing schooner built in 1921, which lives on in the Canadian ten-cent coin. Lunenburg has a very vibrant arts community and ikebana fit right in. The library is housed in the Lunenburg Academy, an imposing 3-storey Victorian building, built in 1893-95.
The Lunenburg Academy.
This exhibition’s theme is “connecting”. Through ikebana, we connect people, nature and cultures. It is also an expression of our wish to deepen further our bond with the South Shore. We thank the South Shore Public Libraries and the staff of the Lunenburg Library in particular for your very warm welcome and your patience as we prepared for this event.
This exhibition is also part of the on-going celebrations of the 90th anniversary of Canada-Japan diplomatic relations.
Welcome arrangement by Miyako.
Group Arrangement by Val S, Susan R and Miyako
Three arrangements all using a red furoshiki (Japanese wrapping cloth) as a unifying theme.
Arrangements by Lely A
Lely created 4 arrangements in the basic styles and peppered them all around the library. Her work exuded a lot of tranquility and somehow brought a feeling of kindness to the library. Many people commented how they loved seeing the ikebana tucked in the little corners of the library.
The small arrangement placed right on an old water fountain was a big hit! Nobody imagined that could be a place for a floral arrangement.
Arrangement by Val S
Val paired her arrangement with a woodblock print by artist and master printmaker, Robin Wall. The artwork, titled Light/Boat Patterns (1989), depicted boats at North Head Harbour in Grand Manan, NB. Val introduced nautical elements in her work with mesh wire, branches and grass, intricately put together into a shape that brings to mind the prow of a boat, or perhaps fishing nets being dried on the wharf.
Arrangements by Susan R
Susan, who is based in Mahone Bay, was our point person for this project and did a lot of the legwork!
Wall arrangement. Susan liked the "boxiness" of the euonymous branches. She then added a smooth willow branch for texture contrast and a bit of quince for colour contrast. One visitor exclaimed: "There's so much je-ne-sais-quoi in this work!"
An arrangement with driftwood and obi spilling down to the bottom…did you notice the blue-painted branches in the back that provided beautiful colour contrast?
…and a simple coffee table arrangement!
Arrangements by Miyako
The centrepiece for this exhibit is this large work that showed a clash of curly and smooth branches…but ultimately making a connection in the middle.
And some smaller arrangements: table top and door hanging.
Miyako’s demonstration was very well-attended. We loved the audience enthusiasm and interest! There were audible gasps when Miyako took out some weeds with big leaves from the bucket and started using them in an arrangement. Yes, weeds can be ikebana material too!
Photo credit: Daphna L. Thank you!
And here’s the gang that made this exhibition possible. Thank you very much Val, Susan, Lely and Martin (who worked behind-the-scenes!).
For Immediate Release - May 18th, 2019
Ikebana on the South Shore of Nova Scotia!
Connecting - An Ikebana Exhibition will be held at the Lunenburg Library on the weekend of June 1-2, 2019.
Ikebana is the art of Japanese floral arrangement. This exhibition’s theme is “connecting”. Through ikebana, we connect people, nature and cultures.
This event is part of the 90th anniversary celebration of Canada-Japan diplomatic relations.
The exhibition will be presented by Miyako Ballesteros (Sogetsu School of Ikebana) and her students. Please come and enjoy the ikebana.
Admission is free.
Connecting - An Ikebana Exhibition
Jun 1st (Sat) 10 - 5 p.m. *
Jun 2nd (Sun) 12 - 4 p.m.
*Short live demonstration on Saturday, 2:00 p.m.
At the Lunenburg Library (Lunenburg Academy 1F, 97 Kaubach St., Lunenburg NS)
We hope to see you there.
Surprise! - An Ikebana Exhibition was held last May 10-12, 2019 at the Keshen Goodman Library in Halifax. We chose the theme “surprise” with the bold mission to surprise people with what they can do with oft taken for granted plants that are easily found in backyards and roadsides! So in this exhibit, you’d have seen familiar things, —pine and spruce branches, magnolia, quince, bridal wreath and lots of tree bark—alongside blooms from the florist! Thank you to all who visited us! We hope you enjoyed the arrangements as much as we did creating them!
We are very grateful to the Keshen Goodman Library who let us use their beautiful space. The staff were all very welcoming and helpful! Special mention to Dacia M. for her patience with us. Preparations and take-down could not have gone any smoother!
This exhibition is part of the on-going celebrations of the 90th anniversary of Canada-Japan diplomatic relations. It also coincided with the Asian Heritage Month festivities in Halifax.
To the people who made this possible: Val S, Susan R, Nina D, Media C, Jean H, Robert L, Brenda D, Heather N, M. S., Linda K and Cody O. A very BIG thank-you! Your hard-work and dedication to ikebana are very much appreciated. We hope to do another exhibition next year!
(Photo credit: Kent Martin)
Arrangement by Jean H
We are welcomed to the exhibit by this floor position arrangement by Jean H. Hydrangea, magnolia and delphinium.
Arrangement by Val S
How Val deftly peeled away the bark from a fallen birch tree is beyond us! Pink lines and pink blooms accent the white bark perfectly.
Arrangement by Susan R
A lovely vase (origin unknown but acquired at the local Xmas market in Mahone Bay!) paired with driftwood from Nova Scotia’s shores. Something very wabi-sabi about this!
Arrangements by Nina D
Nina uses spirea branches called bridal wreath. The shrub with droopy branches grow all over Nova Scotia and blooms with little white flowers…but for these arrangements, Nina uses them not for the flowers but to show lines.
Arrangements by Media C
Exotic-looking vases! Gentle curves of delicate grass contrasted with a chunk of rough, fallen wood!
Arrangement by Robert L
Robert says he never heard of Bells of Ireland till he started ikebana lessons…and now he just absolutely loves them!
Arrangement by Brenda D
Brenda tells us that weeks before the exhibit, she already mentally placed “reserved” tags on select branches of the spruce tree in her backyard. ..and behold, a nageire with very strong lines. The addition of a piece of bark at the bottom anchors the forceful upward surge of those branches.
Arrangement by Heather N
Quince branches and lilies. This arrangement was evolving as the lilies started to bloom during the 3-day exhibit!
Arrangement by M.S.
May is the month when irises bloom in Japan as well so this arrangement connects us to the seasons in Japan as well! Irises normally grow straight up but M.S. bends these irises to her will!
(Photo credit: Robert L)
Arrangement by Linda K
This arrangement is meant to be seen all around.
Arrangement by Cody O
In ikebana, the clearness of the water is an important element. Cody O gives us more to appreciate by adding some blooms in the water!
Arrangements by Miyako
A convolution of corkscrew willow branches, crisscrossing in brightly painted red and natural colours. (Thank you, Nina D, for bringing these branches, freshly pruned, from the Annapolis Valley!)
(Photo credit: Kent Martin)
There is a pine tree in our backyard that fell after a strong storm some years ago. Recently, its old bark started coming off…and this is showcased in this arrangement. Miyako inserted some pine needles to remind us that the bark was from a pine tree. With the aged bark, Miyako added some young, budding magnolia branches! The vase is by local pottery artist, Sally Ravindra (Purcell’s Cove Pottery).
These uncannily curving branches were found on the roadside. Arranged on a tall vertical vase with a few tufts of moss added to give some sense of motion…like a pinwheel!
(Photo credit: Kent Martin)
Last but certainly not least…thank you, Kent Martin, for visiting the exhibition and allowing us to use your photos. Kent Martin is a professional photographer/film producer who is currently working on The Halifax Project—a documentary of our beloved city, Halifax NS!
Updated Aug 10, 2020
This exhibition won an award! Please click on the image to see the details!
Afterglow Art Festival was held on Sept 24th, 2016 in Bridgewater, NS. We were again fortunate for the opportunity to participate, this time in collaboration with talented textile artists Susan Lilley (shibori dyeing) and Phyllis Price (sashiko stitching). The ikebana team is Miyako Ballesteros and Susan Robertson.
The four of them have joined forces in an exploration of Japanese culture through its application to contemporary textile art and flower arranging.
Suan Lilley (shibori dyeing)
Phyllis Price (sashiko stitching)
Susan Robertson (ikebana)
Miyako Ballesteros (ikebana)
Pulling ideas together and seeing them all come to fruition were a lot of fun!
The exhibit sought to expose viewers to two deeply held Japanese values: mottainai (disdain for waste) and wabi-sabi (appreciation for old and imperfect items). In North American throw-away, these lesson have important application for achieving sustainability in the 21st century.
“Truth be told, I just love dyeing cloth, cutting it up and sewing it back together again to create exciting, original artwork.
I’ve been doing this for near on 10 years, sometimes inspired by a place or a feeling, but more often inspired by the marks and the light I’ve created on white, (often old) fabric, using various techniques, including the ancient Japanese art of shibori.
I’m drawn to shibori for so many reasons. My brain is challenged by an exploration of cause and effect, as I repeatedly stitch, fold, clamp, and dye each piece of fabric to achieve a desired result. And yet the results are always unpredictable. Mysterious. Imperfect. Inspiring. Forcing me to release control of the outcome, leading me along new pathways, challenging me to create simple, abstract artwork that evokes an emotional response for me, and I hope, in the viewer. ”
“In some thirty-odd years of textile work, I’ve always been drawn to the random combination of seemingly disparate and often reclaimed fabrics, embellished through the Zen process of hand stitching. The use of recycled fabrics appealed to the frugality I inherited from my ancestors, as well as my environmentalism. The Depression-era mantra of “use it up, wear it out, make it over or do without” guides not only my textile work but my general approach to life.
This past year, through connection with friends more knowledgeable than I about Japan, I’ve discovered how these concepts have been important touchstones in that country’s culture as well. The reverence for much-loved, much-used and often imperfect everyday items, the collage-like approach to layering old fabrics joined together through the meditative process of sashiko stitching, and the Japanese interpretation of frugality (mottanai) have both deepened and broadened my textile work. I expect that these “lessons from Japan” will continue to influence both my stitching and my life in days ahead.”
“It seemed like time stood still the first time I saw an ikebana arrangement. That unexpected response drew me to this art of arranging plant material. Initially I was a passionate admirer. Over a period of years I took a few classes, played around with it a little and enjoyed other people’s work. In 2009 I became a serious student.
Ikebana has taught me a new way of seeing detail, simplicity, imperfection, balance and space. I love the way each composition reveals and highlights the unnoticed or hidden beauty of not only the plant material but water, a container, or the empty space that surrounds it. I can delight in the most minute detail, an intriguing line, or a color that’s been made apparent or more prominent through trimming, placement, and use of the space.
In the process of creating some new arrangement I am totally absorbed and literally lost never knowing where it will end up. When I am finally satisfied that it’s complete I enjoy a quiet state of overwhelming ecstasy.”
“Ikebana is an art form that constantly reminds us of our connection to nature. Using plant materials taken from the backyard (even the weeds!) and maybe a few flower stems, we are able to create an arrangement. In the spring/summer, we have fresh and vibrant foliage, full of green; in the fall, a change of colour; in the winter, simply bare branches, revealing their beautiful lines. The eternal changing of seasons never seem to bore us. No two seasons are ever identical. So it is with ikebana. There is always something the same yet there is always something different. After more than 20 years of practice, every arrangement is still refreshingly new.
In Nova Scotia, I am surrounded by nature. Trees and shrubs growing in their native habitat show me the beauty of their natural forms and lines. Even worm-eaten leaves reminds me that life is happening everywhere. All this is an inspiration to me.”
Hanging Arrangement by Susan Robertson.
We are especially grateful to the people at Keller Williams Select Realty, Bridgewater office--Monica, Carol & Henry--for your help and generosity in letting us use your offices! Also a big thank-you to Ashton Rodenhiser and the rest of the Afterglow organizing committee for having us and making this magical night happen!
P.S. Thank you Phyllis for letting us use some of your photos!
If you are out shopping for a car, visit the Toyota Lexus showroom in Halifax!
We put up an ikebana installation there. Way up there above the showcase shelving! See it?
Toyota and Lexus being Japanese brands, we hope to show a little bit more of the Japanese aesthetic in the showroom. We express through flowers elements of the automobile design: elegance, boldness, power.
Sometimes, it is good to work outside the studio and create something BIG...a very different experience from the usual table-top arrangement. The project is a collaborative effort by Miyako and her advanced students : Val S., Susan R., Jean H. and Patti V.
Toyota Lexus had asked for something that could stay in place through the Christmas season. So, dried materials were used. Apart from the bleached palm, all other plant materials were those that can be found in Nova Scotia.
Bleached palm leaves.
Gold maple leaves and Canada holly (ilex) among others.
We also used Japanese obi.
We searched far and wide to get the right material! :-)
Planning, designing, creating the mock-up took an effort. But we enjoyed doing it! With everyone working together, there was an excellent exchange of ideas.
(L-R) Miyako, Jean and Patti.
Val.
Since the arrangement was to be placed atop a 2-metre high shelf, we had to imagine it being viewed from the below.
Susan and Miyako.
The other challenge, of course, was bringing the work to the showroom...and the actual installation. Many thanks to Val's engineering & carpentry skills for coming up with a great "scaffold"!
Here are more views of the installation.
The installation will be there throughout December, 2015. Please visit when you have the chance!
We are very grateful to Toyota Lexus Halifax for generously allowing us to use their showroom. It is never easy to find big spaces for big arrangements!
Thank you to Val, Susan, Jean and Val! We hope you enjoyed the project. We are proud of your work. As well, thanks to Susan and Patti for sharing your photos with us!
Miyako and Susan worked long and hard to design this installation for the Afterglow Art Festival, held in Bridgewater, NS last Sep. 25~26, 2015. The ever-evolving mock-up took over our garage for well over a month!
We thank Jim of Rofihe's Men's Wear (629 King St., Bridgewater, NS) for allowing use of the store's show window for the ikebana installation. The location was perfect!
Photo courtesy of Susan Robertson.
“Have We Met Before?
We are all witness to the wild beauty that grows quietly along our roadsides and gets washed up upon the shore. What if we took that material inside? Susan Roberston is an Ikebana Enthusiast, Admirer, and Student and Miyako Ballesteros is a qualified Instructor Sogetsu School of Ikebana and Co-Owner of the Ikebana Shop in Halifax. Ikebana is an art in which the force of life in living plants and the spirit of the person arranging unite to create new beauty and form.”
It looks like the ladies enjoyed themselves. Here is the ikebana at night.
Thank you to everyone who came to see the work. Thank you to Ashton Rodenhiser and the rest of the organizers of Afterglow Art Festival for letting us participate in this wonderful event.
Miyako & Susan, o-tsukaresamadeshita!
"Infusion" is the 2015 ikebana exhibit by Ikebana International Ottawa Centennial Chapter 120.
Date: April 16-19, 2015
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Place: Canadian Museum Of Nature, 240 McLeod St., Ottawa ON, Canada
the ikebana shop is a proud sponsor.
