What is ikebana?

Ikebana is commonly known as the Japanese art of floral arrangement. Roughly meaning „giving life to flowers“ or „letting flowers express themselves“, the practice of ikebana aims at capturing the zest of live plants and thereby show them in a moment of utmost beauty.

Since its establishment as an art form in the 15th century, new trends, styles, and schools have developed in accordance with the tastes and living environments of the time. While traditional styles follow a complex set of rules which can take many years of study and practice, so-called „free style” forms of ikebana give room for a creator’s individual perspective and artistic experimentation.

How is ikebana different from Western floral design?

Plants popular in Western floral design are generally beautiful to the eye. If we see a lush bouquet, what strikes us most about it is the combination of vibrant colors and fancy shaped flowers, as well as the abundance in which they are arranged. The kind of beauty emphasized here relies heavily on the flowers’ pretty looks, and can often be enhanced by amassing them into the metaphorical „sea of flowers.“

In contrast, the sense of beauty in ikebana considers many different aspects besides external beauty and revolves around the expression of life. It can be found in the twirl of a stem, a flower’s silhouette seen from a specific angle, even the ripped parts of a leaf, which is why the use of materials is not limited to „decorative“ plants and flower parts. In order to highlight subtleties like this, much thought goes also into the integration of the empty space, so that an ikebana arrangement will often give an impression of reduction and spaciousness.