HAIKU

At the November meeting our guest speaker was Dr Hironobu Kitaoji, Director of Japan Seminar House. 

He spoke about various aspects of the haiku poetry form and its evolution from the 12th to the 19th century. This included the observation that as art forms both haiku and ikebana were indicating something beyond what was immediately present in the work itself. He also pointed out that the reader of haiku was able to discover something new, by the poet shifting the point of view in the second part of the poem.

By illustration he proposed such subtle interpretations as the idea that a storm wind was chasing flying blossoms rather than causing the blossoms to scatter.

"chiru hana o   iokaketeyuku   arashi kana"

"Oh, the storm! Chasing the scattering blossoms"

Fujiwara no Sadaie, 1162 - 1241

In addition Dr Kitaoji spoke warmly about the late Norman Sparnon. He said that in the aftermath of WWII Norman's eyes were opened with wonder when the people of Tokyo came in huge numbers to look at the beauty of an ikebana exhibition even though they were surrounded by the devastation of the city.

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Following the guest speaker, a demonstration was given by Keiko Mii, of the Ohara School. 

Keiko said:    My haiku is Matuo Basho's (1644-1694)

あじさいや かたびらどきの うすあさぎ
紫陽花や 帷子時の 薄浅黄

Ajisai ya    Katabira doki no    Usu asagi 

Hydrangeaー 
        light blue in 
                   hemp kimono

Katabira (帷子) in this haiku is a hemp kimono for summer wear, whose colour is pale blue, like that of Hydrangea.

  Below are some ikebana made by members at the meeting.

Chieko Yazaki

Oh what a glorious sunlight, shining over the young green leaves in the Nikko mountain.                   

                                                          Matsuo Basho

Eiko Roskam 

Sitting on open veranda

facing new bamboos

how much I miss my late mother.

                                                             Hakyou  Ishida

Sally Wilkinson

Lighting one candle

With another candle

Spring evening                                        

  Yosa Buson

Additional photos of ikebana created at the meeting.

I would also like to draw your attention to the launch of I.I. Melbourne Chapter's new website. The address is: www.ikebanainternationalmelbourne.com 

Please check it out and save the address to your 'favourites'                                       

Christopher James
webmanager

                

NATIVE FLORA

The theme of the meeting on Tuesday was 'Let's Go Native', focussing on the wealth of Australian indigenous plants. Our guest speaker was Mr Barrie Gallacher, a 'Garden Ambassador' and volunteer guide at the Royal Botanic Garden, Cranbourne in Melbourne's outer east. Mr Gallacher gave an excellent virtual tour of the garden using a slideshow. In the opinion of a number of I.I. members at the meeting, this garden is well worth a visit for its presentation of flora from the great range of the diverse botanical environments in Australia.

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Emily Karanikolopoulos, Sogetsu, gave a demonstration of a freestyle ikebana using: Gymea lily leaves, 'spear' grass and red callistemon. 

Above is her completed arrangement. Below are photos of a number arrangements setup by members using Australian native materials.

Christopher James: Luecophyta brownii and Lepidosperma gladiatum.

Robyn Unglik: Callistemon and red Eucalyptus flowers.

Thea Sartori: Eucalyptus macrocarpa.

Marcia Lamrock: Banksia spinulosa.

Rosemary Horden: Leptospermum continentale, Actinotus helianthi and a helichrysum. 

Elizabeth Angell: Casurina stricta, red Calistemon and Eucalyptus caesia seed pods.

Leonora Duffield: an I.I. member from Ottawa, Eucalyptus lehmannii.

Eleanor Heath: also from Ottawa, used Leptospermun continental and Waratah.

Nicole McDonald: Eucalyptus bark and Callistemon.

Marjorie Campkin-Smith: Waratah and the fruiting branch of a palm.

ANNUAL EXHIBITION

The annual exhibition of Ikebana International Melbourne was held over two weeks in the ground floor gallery of the Melbourne Town Hall, on Swanston St. in the city centre. Thirty nine members participated creating individual and four collaborative works. 

A private preview of the exhibition was held on the first morning and attended by the Consul General of Japan, heads of Melbourne's Ikebana Schools and other invited guests.

Ms Keiko Hanada, Consul General of Japan and Ms Chieko President of Ikebana International Melbourne. Below are photos of the ikebana works.

General view first room

Philip Keon, Sogetsu

Chieko Yazaki and Lisa Yazaki, Shogetsudokoryu

Naomi Cullen, Ichiyo

Sally Wilkinson, Ohara

Yohie Arai, Shogetsudokoryu

Below, four general views of the second room.

     

   

     

   

Lorraine Langley, Ikenobo  

Minghua Li, Shogetsudokoryu  

Pascal Tremblay, Shogetsudokoryu

Marjorie Campkin-Smith, Sogetsu

Yukako Braun, Ikenobo

 Nobuko Kobayashi, Ichiyo

Eiko Roskam, Ohara

Joan Norbury, Sogestsu

 Keiko Mii, Ohara

Kaye Wong, Kim Louey and Stella Gan, Ichiyo

Lee Johnstone, Sogetsu

Emily Karanikolopoulos, Sogetsu

Aiko Nakada and Kerrie Davis, Ohara

Qui Nguyen, Ikenobo

Lara Telford, Trish Ward and Beverley Webster, Sogetsu

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Week two, first room.

Thea Sartori, Sogetsu

Sandra Gawthorpe, Sogetsu

 Christina Marshman, Ichiyo

Julie Ayers, Ikenobo

Lyn Wong, Ohara

Elisha Zhang, Ichiyo

Marcia Lamrock, Sogetsu

 Helen Novic, Sogetsu

 TomokoYamada, Ohara

Margaret Wilson, Sogetsu

Felicia Huang, Ohara

Christopher James, Sogetsu

Eugenia Chudacek, Sogetsu