Flower power: “We are a lot more than a gaggle of giggling ladies dabbling in flower arrangement,” says Shyamala Ganesh (left standing), at the Bangalore chapter of the Ohara School of Ikebana, in Bangalore.
BANGALORE: The members of the Bangalore chapter of the Ohara School of Ikebana are in a fix. They have been trying to get a decent venue for their 20th anniversary bash only to be told by a prestigious institution that ikebana is not art.
A visibly vexed Shyamala Ganesh, founder-president, breaks the news at the group’s monthly meeting. There is a collective buzz of indignation, for these women, brought together by a common love for nature, have long meditated on philosophical subtexts in ikebana and the long hours of practise it takes to master the art.
However, for the 100-odd members of the group, this is but a temporary dampener. Soon the women are back, flitting from one arrangement to the other, especially the piece de resistance of the day — a vertical arrangement of castor and anthurium. Between admiring sighs spiked with the fragrance of rose and chrysanthemum, Ms. Ganesh explains the process of treating the castor, a method that involves cutting the stems in hot water and immediately wrapping them in a wet towel to extend their longevity.
She has had the privilege of learning Ohara Ikebana in the place of its origin during her husband’s posting in Japan between 1977 and 1981, returning time and again to touch base. She was awarded Sub-Grand Master by the school in 2006 — the first in the State and only the fourth in the country to receive that honour.
Ms. Ganesh, along with other kindred spirits, began an Ohara Ikebana study group in 1986 here and three years later, the group was granted chapter status. Since then, it has been organising exhibitions, demonstration, seminars, and actively hosting Japanese professors, teachers and students.
At this meeting, they are viewing the ikebana displayed at the exhibition of the Bombay chapter of the Ohara School in preparation for their exhibition later this month. While they compare notes on the lines and the use of space in each arrangement (integral to Ohara with its emphasis on recreating the harmony seen in nature) the spirit of sisterhood is evident, reflecting the bond that underlies the group’s more obvious scholarly pursuits.
“People mistake us for a gaggle of giggling ladies dabbling in flower arrangement; they don’t know the reverence with which ikebana is treated elsewhere in the world,” says Ms. Ganesh.
Common core “There may be different styles, but what lies at the heart of ikebana is the same,” says Vivek K. Rao, president of the Ikenobo Ikebana Society (Bangalore chapter), who inherited the fascination from his mother and her sensei Masako Ibeseno. He explains how the branches are rigid in Japan, but how the boundaries are porous in India.
Interior designer Mallika Rai, who has been with the group since 1987, says: “Ohara is the most traditionalist of the schools, yet the new styles are incorporated in the school in Japan, the syllabus changes —it is a dynamic art form.”
“It is also an expensive hobby,” adds Deepika Mansingh, who has the longest experience in the Ohara group, “and therefore only for those who are really interested. It is a continuous process of practising, learning and progressing.”
Exhibition schedule
The Bangalore chapter of the Bangalore School of Ikebana finally managed to find a venue for its exhibition to be held on November 13, 14 and 15 at the ITC Fortune Trinity Hotel, Whitefield. The programme will be inaugurated on November 13 at 11 a.m. by the head of the Japanese Consulate, Bangalore. India Japan Initiative chairperson Geetanjali Kirloskar will be the guest of honour.The three-day exhibition will also feature an ikebana demonstration.
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