IKENOBO IKEBANA SOCIETY TO GIVE DEMONSTRATION AT NATIONAL MUSEUM JUNE 22

The Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Los Angeles, one of the three local Japanese flower arranging schools creating and maintaining installations as part of the Japanese American National Museum’s exhibition, Living Flowers: Ikebana and Contemporary Art, will give a demonstration on Sunday, June 22, beginning at 2 p.m., at the National Museum in Little Tokyo.

Living Flowers is an innovative exhibition that features traditional Japanese flower arrangements by the masters of Ikenobo, Ohara and Sogetsu schools of ikebana along with cutting-edge contemporary art by such well known artists as Isamu Noguchi and Robert Mapplethorpe. Each of the schools is creating and maintaining four arrangements for the length of the exhibition, which runs through September 7.

The Ikenobo school is the oldest ikebana tradition, evolving out of the Buddhist custom of placing flowers on altars. Ikenobo refers to the name of the buildings associated with the Shiunzan Chohoji or Rokkakudo Temple in Kyoto, as well as the name of the family that has served in succeeding generations as head priests of the temple. Ikenobo masters developed the rikka style, which included seven essential elements, in the late 16th Century. The Ikenobo Ikebana Society of America has chapters throughout the country, including Los Angeles, and the Ikenobo school, headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, has branches in over 30 countries. Under headmaster Sen’ei Ikenobo, the 45th generation Ikenobo headmaster, the school’s work presents a bright, modern feeling.

The Sogetsu Los Angeles Branch will provide their own demonstration on Sunday, July 20, at 2 p.m. and the Ohara School of Ikebana Los Angeles Chapter will present on Sunday, August 24, at 2 p.m. All these programs are free to National Museum members or with general admission. For more information, call the Japanese American National Museum at (213) 625-0414.