Ikebana is the art of Japanese flower arranging. Unlike Western arrangements, Ikebana’s appeal worldwide is due to the uniqueness and simplicity of designs. Sogetsu, one of the largest schools of ikebana, follows the principles that any one may create an arrangement using a variety of materials, and doing it anywhere and at anytime.
The Sogetsu School of Ikebana was founded in 1927 in Japan by Sofu Teshigahara whose vision was to adapt traditional Ikebana to more contemporary times. While retaining some of the traditional Ikebana concepts such as asymmetry, open space, and depth, he rejected many of the more rigid rules about materials, placement and permitted styles of arrangements that were integral parts of the Ikebana of the past. This philosophy had a wide appeal to modern society and permitted each designer to be creative without restraints. Sofu believed that the Ikebana is a form of living sculpture and a reflection of the person who arranges it.
Akane Teshigawara, the second daughter of Hiroshi Teshigawara, succeeded as the forth iemoto of the school in 2001. Her grandfather is Sofu Teshigahara, the first Iemoto. She learned ikebana from Kasumi Teshigahara, her aunt and second Iemoto from her early childhood. She was brought up in an artistic environment. As the leader of Sogetsu which cherishes “free creation,” she planned and produced a street exhibition “Sogetsu Hana Avenue” in Omotesando, Tokyo in 2000 wishing to convey the charm of ikebana to a wider range of people and that annual exhibition continued for six years. In recent years, seeking a new way of ikebana, she has engaged in “Iemoto Ikebana Live,” a live demonstration of the entire process of making sumptuous ikebana works on the stage with sound and lighting effects, in various places throughout Japan. She is now expanding her activities in various fields including stage arts, jewelry design, and collaboration with dancers, musicians, calligraphers, and other artists. With her fresh and original sensibility, she has established her own style by being in tune with the times.
Sogetsu School Headquarters
7-2-21 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8505, Japan
Telephone: +81-3-3408-1151
E-Mail: sogetsu-info@tn-japan.or.jp
Websites:
http://www.sogetsu.or.jp/e/ (English)
http://www.sogetsu.or.jp (Japanese)
Local Contact:
Denver Metro
Midori Allmeyer, Riji, midoriallmeyer@msn.com
Kinko Ohata, Riji (Centennial), kinkoohata@msn.com
Seiko Yoshikawa, Riji, seiko_yo@yahoo.com
Boulder
Jane Carpenter Cohn, Riji, janecarpentercohn@icloud.com
Eileen Kay, Somu, eileenkay1027@msn.com
Broomfield
Kimiko Kuno, Riji, kimikok@broomhoff.com