Unity Day 2021

The topic of this unity day is to compare and contrast the difference between traditional Japanese flower arrangements ikebana style to that of the European style. The workshop offers the students an opportunity to learn and make their own flower arrangements following the directed guidelines of the presenters. After the presenters introduced the idea and showed the participants about the basics design ideas for the Ikebana style, the rest of the workshop is given to the participants to try and build their own artwork.

Since the main focus of the workshop is about the Japanese Ikebana style, the workshop started with a brief introduction to the founder and the cultural transformation that Ikebana style had to go through, since the original design element is taken for the old schooled Japanese flower arrangements. The workshop started with presenting a collection of photographs regarding European flower arrangements and the Japanese Ikebana style. Through discussion with the participants, we were able to conclude that European-styled flower arrangement art often pursues a sense of symmetry in design, while the Ikebana style doesn’t really rely much on symmetry to express its artistic design principle and thinking. Another point that the discussion had provided is that while European-styled flower arrangements often create a sense of prosperity based on the massive use of flowers, the Ikebana style often reflects “a moment of zen” in its arrangement, as the use of the material is limited. After the discussion of the difference, we also introduced the evolution of the two flower arrangement styles. The European-styled flower arrangements are influenced by the Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and the victorian era; and the Japanese Ikebana style is improved upon the old school Japanese style which was originally influenced by Tang Dynasty in China. Through the process of compare and contrast, we were able to see the transfer of the artistic cultures and design principles through the lens of geography and time.

After the presentation of the slides, the presenters started to showcase the making of the Ikebana-styled flower arrangements. The required materials were Kenzan(the base for the flower to stand) and the Suiban(a shallow ceramics base for the flowers). In the Ikebana Sogetsu, floral materials are not required massively, so the participants are encouraged to think outside of the box and utilized the flowers and branches that were prepared. After having the chance to make their own flower arrangements, the participants had a group critique of each other’s artwork. At the end of the session, all of the flower arrangements were brought to the Campus Center exhibition.

The workshop happened during a unique time of the pandemic, and the presenters presented the workshop digitally with a 15 hour time difference. The workshop was made possible by the teamwork and collaboration of the faculty sponsor, and through the tireless efforts of the back-and-forth emails and messages, we as presenters felt the warmth of the community from thousands of miles away. It was a great opportunity to practice and strengthen our leadership and communication skills, to wake up in the middle of the night and present ourselves. Through this Unity Day workshop, I realized the sense of community that the school is trying to build and provide, it is the unity that cannot be divided by distance and time.