Sunday 29 June 2014

Hanayuishi Takaya - Performance Video

Uppsala University has uploaded a short video of Takaya's installation held at the opening of the exhibition Ikebana and Contemporary Plant Art, June 14, 2014.

Artist: Hanayuishi Takaya
Music: Celloimprovisation by Jonas Bleckman
Curating/production: Kajsa Haglund, Elisabet Yanagisawa Avén
Kimono: Yumi Katsura, Kyoto, Japan


The exhibition runs until September 14th, 2014
More information on the exhibition webpage and the website of the Botanical Gardens of Uppsala

Saturday 21 June 2014

Performance - Ikebana and Contemporary Plant Art

This is the second post with pictures from the opening of the exhibition Ikebana and Contemporary Plant Art in the Botanical Garden of Uppsala, Sweden. Contemporary flower artist Takaya from Kyoto is one of the artists featured in the exhibition. 


At the opening we also had the opportunity to experience one of his Hanayuishi performances. Using only fresh flowers, Takaya has invented an original technique of art in the field of hair dressing, tying together people and flower. Takaya was working live creating head pieces on models mowing slowly down the catwalk.





Thursday 19 June 2014

Opening - Ikebana and Contemporary Plant Art

Last Saturday I went to Uppsala in Sweden to attend the opening of the exhibition Ikebana and Contemporary Plant Art in the Botanical Garden. I had a great time and met some interesting people. I have quite a few pictures to show you from this opening, so I'm going to post them in two different posts.


The exhibition was opened by the Japanese Ambassador to Sweden, Mr. Seiji Morimoto, who impressed by holding a long speech in Swedish. Before we were welcomed inside the Orangery, the artists were also presented. The art works were made on site and the artist were all present at the opening.

Naoaki Donuma: Finding peace and happiness in a silent symphony

Ohya Rica: Load Nothingness to Fill Your Emtiness

Katsuhito Kurata (Ikenobo): Deification

Since the exhibition will be running until mid September, the art work will have to stay up for a long time. A lot of the materials are dry, some is planted and some will be replaced during the exhibition.

 Chatting with Judit Katkits, Ichiyo teacher in Stockholm
In the background: Katsuhito Kurata (Ikenobo)

Hiroki Ohara, headmaster of the Ohara School

500 people came to the exhibition opening on this sunny summer day. I had the opportunity to meet with several Scandinavian ikebana teacher colleagues and even talk to mr Hiroki Ohara, headmaster of the Ohara School in Japan.

 Junichi Kakizaki: Last Moment of Flowers.
In the background: Photo works by Takaya.

Hiroki Ohara: The Root

 Shizuko Ono: Hana

Tuesday 10 June 2014

Uppsala: Ikebana and Contemporary Plant Art

The Botanical Gardens of Uppsala, Sweden, is hosting an interesting exhibition this summer. Featuring two highly experienced ikebana artists, Hiroki Ohara, headmaster of the Ohara School, and Katsuhito Kurata, assistant instructor of the Ikenobo Central Training Institute, the exhibition Ikebana and Contemporary Plant Art  presents their work side by side with works by Japanese contemporary artists Naoaki Donuma, Junichi Kakizaki, Shizuko Ono, Ohya Rica and Hanayuishi Takaya.

The exhibition, that takes place in the magnificent 18th century Orangery in the botanical garden, is unique by showing traditional Ikebana alongside Japanese contemporary art inspired by the great diversity of the plant world. Plants from the Swedish forest and the Botanical Gardens are combined with cut flowers, shrubs, rocks, roots and branches.

The site of the exhibition has a fitting history. The Orangery was built in honor of Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus on the initiative of his disciple Carl Peter Thunberg after his return from his expedition to Japan in 1779. Thunberg was staying with the Portuguese traders on the artificial island Dejima outside Nagasaki. Although he was hardly allowed to leave the island, he was able to conduct some botanical research,  trading his knowledge of European medicine for new specimens. In 1776 he was allowed to accompany the director of the Dutch settlement to the shogun in Edo, and was able to collect many Japanese plants. His scientific activities resulted in "Flora Japonica", the first detailed description of the flora of Japan.

The installations exhibited are created on site and the artists will be present at the opening Saturday 14 June at 2 - 4 pm. The exhibition is curated by Kajsa Haglund and Elisabet Yanagisawa Avén.

Meet three of the artist in this film:


The exhibition runs June 14th - September 14th, 2014
More information on the exhibition webpage and the website of the Botanical Gardens of Uppsala

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