Ikebana, bridging relations via flowers

HYDERABAD: “Friendship through flowers” — the motto of the annual exhibition of Ikebana International Hyderabad, Chapter 250. Ikebana International widely spreads the art of ikebana, the art of Japanese flowers in formal arrangements, while abiding by a few sets of rules. The exhibition held in Hotel Marigold was graced by the presence of the chief guest, Sandeep Kumar Sultania, IAS, and Kenji Miyata, Consulate General of Japan, Chennai as the guest of honour. “In November this year, the chapter will host another International conference from the 17th to 20th, and I’m confident that will also be a great success,” says Miyata, as this was his first visit to the Hyderabad Chapter of Ikebana International.

As you enter the exhibition halls, the tables on either side showcase various ikebana arrangements. The lights peeking through the walls, background with silver leaves compliment the white, red, and sprinkle of yellow flowers. Various flower arrangements on the tables are embellished with ornaments like silver anklets, twigs, and different leaves. The addition of baby breath flowers to a few arrangements illustrates tiny powdered snowflakes. The name tags of the artists are positioned underneath the arrangements as well.

The annual Ikebana exhibition was held on January 6, as a tribute to the late Ramini Nambiar, the first president of Ikebana International. The chapter was the brainchild of Ramini  Nambiar in 1977. The committee began with 10 members and presently grew to a strength of 43 active members. “When I see this, I’m certainly very happy on this day, and I’m very much proud about that. I hope that they will continue. It’s nice to see the members of Ikebana International as a few of them are her friends and others are her students,” adds Vishwanath Nambiar.

The theme for the exhibition was ‘silver lining’, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the chapter and also marking the commemoration of 70 years of Indo-Japan friendship. “Over the past 70 years, the two countries have developed a cordial and friendly relationship. We share common values; we love nature, respect our families, and the value of history, tradition, and culture,” remarked Kenji Miyata. The occasion exhibited beautiful ikebana arrangements by ikebana artists. The flower settings also showcased the flag colours of the two nations in their floral arrangements.

The founding vice president, Bharti Surya Rao, 86 years old, elaborating on the depth of the ikebana through her experience and passion for aesthetics, says, “I enjoy flowers. I joined 30 years ago because it was a new art, and one must develop an eye for it. It is exquisite to learn how to handle the flowers. Ikebana brings art to outdoor flowers, trees, and dried sticks and showcases it in miniatures. I am old now and have this spiritual side of life to make myself happy; with all this combined, I perceive depth in this art. The spirituality of being happy in seeing a flower, the season of the flower, what does it represent? Everything combined is content for my passion and aesthetics.” On another good note, Ikebana International has announced the 15th Asian Regional Conference at HICC, Novotel, in November.