Workshop on arrangement of flowers in Ikebana style

Ikebana is a Japanese flower arrangement art that is often seen at commercial establishments and star hotels giving a pleasant feel to the ambiance. Initially, though the art of Ikebana was used to decorate Japanese temples, the custom had entered domestic houses with the concept of bringing nature home.

A few artists from Ohara School of Ikebana from Hyderabad have come down to the ongoing State level Fruits and Flowers Expo to organise an awareness programme on arranging flowers and leaves in Ikebana style.

A workshop was organised for the enthusiastic women and children at the expo on Sunday. Many young and housewives, plant lovers have gathered at the center of the venue to learn how to set up Ikebana as the artists demonstrated.

Speaking to The Hans India, one of the artists from Ohara, Hoshin Shashi Kola associate first master said, “Generally the art is restricted to temples as an offering to God. Ikebana is about following the rules set forth and it is an art that has to be envisioned.

An Ikebana arrangement can be set up using leaves, twigs and even branches.” For this style of flower arrangement, we use pin holders that are made of metal to keep the flowers or leaves in place.

This type of system is followed to maintain the exact angle of the flower or the item used in the arrangement. The height and size of the utilities are also placed in appropriate angles such that the object, subject and secondaries are set right.

Usually, there would be lesser use of flowers in Ikebana than to the usual oasis foam arrangements but that is where the beauty is, added Shashi. The team from Ohara including Horin Snehalatha, Horen Sharada Reddy, Hoka Sukanya Reddy demonstrated the varieties in Ikebana arrangement namely one row style, moribana style, bunjin style apart from others.