Heritage of Flowers Exhibition

Ohara School arrangements at Ikebana Johor Bahru CH 235 Annual Exhibition 2014.

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Perfecting the Art of Arrangement

SHOWTIME: This year’s Ikebana International exhibition celebrates its various schools

"HERITAGE of Flowers" is the theme for the annual Ikebana International Johor Baru (IIJB), Chapter 235, exhibition planned for June 1 and 2 at the Puteri Pacific Hotel Johor Baru.

The aim of this year's exhibition is to celebrate the heritage of the various schools of ikebana with a special tribute to charter president Tunku Shahariah Tunku Abdul Rahman.

There are several schools of ikebana that follow a particular set of rules and arrangement techniques with the more popular Ikenobo, Ohara, Sogetsu, Koryu, Ryuseiha and Ichiyo schools of ikebana and in this year's exhibition, IIJB members will be creating legacy arrangements by various headmasters from selected schools.

IIJB members study ikebana or the art of Japanese flower arrangement that follows a fixed pattern of a triangle with three points that represent Heaven, Earth and Man, from experienced instructors as well as visiting ikebana masters.

The key consideration in ikebana is to use as few plants as possible to compose an elegant arrangement.

The emphasis is on linear perfection, colour, harmony, space and form, and the choice of plant materials is guided by the artist's desire to create harmony between the materials and vessels used.

The heritage of the IIJB chapter in the Sogetsu, Ohara and Ikenobo schools of ikebana will be showcased in the exhibition through arrangements by members of IIJB and guests who represent the schools of ikebana that they are studying.

The exhibition is eagerly anticipated because it is an opportunity for students in the study groups for the Sogetsu and Ohara schools here to exhibit their floral art.

Study group students in the Sogetsu and Ohara schools of ikebana meet twice a week for lessons and take examinations before going on to the next grade.

The study group in the Sogetsu school of ikebana is guided by instructor Shirley Cheah, an accomplished practitioner who has been a student of Master of Sogetsu and Sogetsu Association of Singapore president Kazue Kato Kim since 2007.

"An exhibition is a real opportunity to display the personality of the Sogetsu study group and for us to learn from experience," said Cheah on how her students are preparing a range of floral arrangements for the exhibition in the Sogetsu School of Ikebana.

While it is usually a more mature audience who may appreciate the art of flower arrangement, Cheah aims to promote ikebana to younger people and even students.

With more than 30 years' experience as an ikebana practitioner, past president of IIJB and the Ohara School of Ikebana president, Singapore Chapter, Datin Ong Kid Ching, is the instructor for the Ohara school study group.

A Third Master in the Ohara school of ikebana who also holds the Komon (Advisory Grade) in the Sogetsu school of ikebana in Japan, Ong encourages students in her study group to draw inspiration from plants and colours that exist in Nature and try to recreate Nature in their arrangements because Ohara arrangements have a lot of green as its base colour that emulate Nature and the seasons.

The highlight of the programme on June 2 is a guest demonstration in five schools of ikebana by accomplished ikebana practitioners like Tan Bo Tan who will demonstrate for the Ikenobo school, Momoka Emmett for the Ryuseiha school, Anju Bhardwaj for the Ichiyo school, Shirley Cheah for the Sogetsu school and Ong for the Ohara school.

Membership in Ikebana International Johor Baru is open to all who are interested in the Japanese art of flower arrangement.

Visit Facebook page Ikebana JB for membership enquiries and more information about the activities of IIJB Chapter 235.

A gallery of Ohara floral art is available on Ohara Circle while enquiries on the study group for the Sogetsu school of ikebana may be sent to sogetsujohor@gmail.com.


Read more: Perfecting the art of arrangement New Straits Times

Art of Nature

Using garden and local flora, combined with a collection of artworks and vintage pieces
Ohara Circle collaborated with Johor Green to explore the connection between nature and art  in an exhibition called "Art of Nature"

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For press coverage of the event click here

Ikebana at One63

 Our second Ikebana for Everybody at a restaurant was held at One63 European Bistro and Bar. We displayed three arrangements, invited a couple of friends to admire our work and had a pleasant lunch specially prepared for us by the chef.

Moribana by Chris

Hiraku by Ira

One row style by Datin Kid Ching

Ikebana fans focus on Ohara style - New Straits Times

Ohara arrangements like these are created with plants

and flowers from the members' own gardens

Formed in 1990 with just 17 members, the Johor Baru Chapter of Ikebana International (IIJB) has developed as a club with some ikebana enthusiasts who are keen on the Ohara School of ikebana.  With a history that dates back some 500 years, ikebana has several schools of flower arrangement that follow a particular set of rules and techniques with the more prominent and popular schools being Ikenobo, Ohara, Sogetsu, Koryu and Ichiyo.  

The art of Japanese flower arrangement known as ikebana, which literally means, “living flowers,” follows a fixed pattern of a triangle with three points that represent Heaven, Earth and Man.  

Wall-hanging flowers, an Ohara arrangement
by Datin Ong Kid Ching

In Nov 2013, IIJB members keen in the Ohara School of ikebana, launched the Ohara Circle Johor Baru for a committed approach to study the style, techniques and creative expression of Ohara arrangements.  The Ohara School believes that it is important to observe nature and emphasises seasonal qualities, natural growth processes and the beauty of natural environments.

Guided by Datin Ong Kid Ching, charter member and past president of IIJB, the Ohara Circle JB aims to encourage and promote the study the Ohara School of ikebana and eventually seek affiliation with the Ohara School headquarters in Japan. Ong is also an ikebana instructor and skilled in pottery.

Members of the Ohara Circle have regular classes under Ong’s tutelage and as they mature in their study of Ohara, they are required to seek official recognition of their skills from Japan.  They will be given regular opportunities to display their floral art for the public in Johor Baru to appreciate this school of ikebana.  Members will also be provided with regular information and inspiration updates to help them acquire a better understanding of botanic materials, containers and given exposure to inspirational material and the work of talented ikebana artists. 

[R to L] Consul General of the Japanese Consulate JB, 
Tsuneki Matsuda with Ong Kid Ching and Chris Parry

To celebrate Oshogatsu, the Japanese New Year, the Ohara Circle announced their initiative, “Ikebana for Everyone” that reflects their aim to make ikebana floral art more visible and available to the public.  The dual benefit of this initiative is that Ohara Circle members will have more opportunities to practice and display their art while making their floral art more accessible to the public.

This initiative started this year with a floral arrangement being provided weekly for the appreciation of the staff and visitors to the office of the Consulate of Japan in Johor Baru at Menara Ansar.

Vickie Yap with her Ohara arrangement
that depicts Spring time
designed in the Tateru style

“Besides presenting a weekly Ohara floral arrangement to the Japanese Consulate office in JB, Ohara Circle JB was also invited to demonstrate an arrangement in the Lunar New Year theme by the Singapore Chapter of Ikebana International,” said Ong.  She was delighted with the audience’s positive response and very pleased with the demonstration performed by Ohara Circle member, Chris Parry.  The Ohara Circle’s Oshogatsu event was marked by a luncheon with Tsuneki Matsuda, the Consul General of the Japanese Consulate in Johor Baru, as their special guest.

The Ohara Circle JB plans to have regular social events held in Japanese restaurants in Johor Baru where they will have a small display of their floral art.  The first of such events was held at the Arashi Japanese Restaurant at KSL City Mall where visitors and restaurant patrons enjoyed the displays for a week.

Among the exhibits was an arrangement of wall hanging flowers by Ong at the restaurant entrance, a garden-like arrangement designed by Kamisah Hassan, an arrangement that depicts Spring time in the Tateru style by Vickie Yap and a signature Ohara design in the Moribana style by Chris Parry.

A garden-like Ohara arrangement by Kamisah Hassan

Chris Parry's creation is done in the Moribana style

There are no fees to join the Ohara Circle JB but members are required to be actively studying and pursuing certification in the Ohara School from Japan.  For more information about future events and membership queries, write to email: oharacirclejb@gmail.com.  A gallery of Ohara floral art is available on www.facebook.com/oharacircle 

By Peggy Loh
A version of this article was published in The New Straits Times, Streets Johor on 3 February 2014

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Chinese New Year - The Divas and Divos of Ikebana

Datin Ong Kid Ching along student Chris Parry recently presented a demonstration of Ohara Ikebana in a joint demonstration with Ikenobo and Sogetsu demonstrators at Ikebana International Singapore Chapter's Chinese New Year Event. Datin Kid Ching made a Hiraku arrangement and Chris a Rising Form with the spring materials of Cherry BLossom. Pussy Willow and Peonies.

Ikebana at the Consulate General of Japan's Office

Ohara Circle launched the Ikebana for Everybody  initiative with a regular display of arrangements at the Consulate General of Japan's office in Johor Bahru. 

More photos of arrangements >>> Click here