CHENNAI: A refashioned banana thoranam, a mark of every joyous occasion in our land, welcomes us into the hall of The Malayalee Club on Saturday. Done by Chitra Thiagarajan, this piece of Ikebana is placed in a pickle jar atop a fanned palm leaf. The palm leaves seem to be her favourite as her other work ‘The Indian Fan’ also employs a large leaf cut into strips.
Similarly, each of the 12 artists who had presented their work at the 12th Annual Ikebana Exhibition, Man and Plants, by the Chennai Sogetsu Branch had their preference. Some like abstract art, some like minimalism, some like to tell a story through nature and some make the best out of waste. But the thread that connected them was the Japanese art of Ikebana. Malathi Pandurang, the director, explains that Ikebana has been in existence since 600 AD.
Chennai was introduced to it in 1979, and ever since there have been exhibitions at different locations. “It is all about colour, rhythm and harmony,” she offers. “Each artist trains rigorously; you keep redoing it till you get it perfect. Ikebana makes use of trees, and flowers that are native to the city you are in. In Chennai, you have a lot of trees.
So artists make use of those.” Inaugurated by Masayuki Taga, Consul General of Japan (Chennai) and Bernd Johann Jesse, curator at Theosophical Society the annual exhibition that went online for the past three years, became an offline one this year. Taga, who spent more than an hour examining the exhibits and interacting with the artists says, “The artists have tried their best to capture the culture. I have been seeing the works online and I am happy to see them in person.
The thinking and expression of each artist are so different; I enjoyed it.” The exhibition included 40 works. Prerana Mehta loves abstract art and it reflects in her works. The recent addition of man-made products to an art that made use of only natural items has made it exciting for her. “I feel more involved when we get to use manmade with natural. Natural is fantastic but a bit limiting. I wanted to do minimalistic art; for me, less is more. Abstract art has helped me to grow better,” she says.
With years of practise it brings about a sense of calmness and clarity in a person. And Prerana has noticed that in herself. “Ikebana has been a journey of self-discovery. If I don’t do Ikebana I feel depressed. When I was younger, I loved the appreciation I was getting. Today that has changed; it is just Ikebana and me. It’s not about achieving great heights but it is about living in the moment and that is what Ikebana has taught me,” she shares. Each artist’s thought and working process are different.
While Prerana begins by first looking for a container and then the materials, Molly Cherian has opted to do artwork with things at her home. One of her works makes use of mulberry branches, teak flowers and fruits, and heliconia all arranged in a kadhai. “I started Ikebana when I was in Bengaluru and soon I realised it was a passion. It is a stress buster. I use only what I want (from nature). Moth-eaten branches, those with deformities; I find that nature is giving some kind of beauty,” she says adding that there is always artwork in her living room and kitchen.
Like Molly, Divya Selvam also loves working with what nature has to offer. “When you do Ikebana you learn to respect nature. We learn how every leaf or flower is sprouted with great effort. We try to use materials around us instead of searching for exotic ones. S i m p l e s t things can bring beauty if you learn the correct way,” she says. The takeaway from the exhibition is simple, as Malathi sums up, “You cannot think o f what your teacher has made and get caught up. Ikebana is all about living in the moment.”