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All over the world, people love flowers! They bring them into their houses admiring their unique beauty and charming fragrance. In Japan, this love for flowers is raised to the art level, called Ikebana.

Ikebana, one of the traditional Japanese arts, is over 700 years old and has flourished in the time of Muromachi (1333-1568). Ikebana means ‘ the art of giving life to flowers' .It is also called KA-DO ,or ‘ the flower path ‘ . An art that has its roots in the offering of flowers to Buddha, at the beginning of the XV century. However, the transformation into art took place outside the temples of Budha.

Thus, the first flower contest called ‘hana-hawase' took place at the festival of flowers during the reign of Yoshimitsu Ashikaga (1358-1408) and due to this fact, his palace was called ‘The castle of flowers'.

Throughout time Ikebana has become a distinct art with diverse styles and schools. During this time, the purpose and the idea of ikebana have certainly changed quite a bit: from the solemn atmosphere in the temple, to the intimate atmosphere of our home, from the philosophical and religious cult to the enchanting of the six senses.

In a certain way, Ikebana reduces life to the dimensions of a bowl, trying to recreate, reproduce and imitate the natural universe. It is capable to make us breathe the cool air of the summer evenings and the nostalgic perfume of the autumn day. Its beauty is given by the simple expressions that communicate the splendor and equilibrium of nature as well as the wellness' tranquility. Through his work, the Ikebana artist transmits a certain emotion, feeling or state to the observer. It is a great way of bringing something special and interesting within our ambient.

The arrangement itself it created on three levels: the superior level representing the sky, the medium level-representing man and the inferior level-representing the earth.

The flowers that make the arrangement are carefully picked in such a particular and unique manner that they fit the vase perfectly and create harmony when combined. Layer after layer of beautiful flowers commingled with the suited twigs and leafs result in a genuine work of art that highlights every component in part and expresses what every flower is suppose to express.

Until 1850 almost all Ikebana art works were placed in vases and were mostly vertical. This old style was characterized by numerous limitations and rules that prevented you from aligning and arranging the flowers by your hearts desire.

Unshin Ohara put an end to these rules and he started a new style called Moribana. It was suitable not only for Japanese architecture but also for buildings built in western style.

Regardless of the style, Ikebana brings harmony and is an eye-candy to us. Due to its three-dimensional effect, it can be considered real floral sculpture. This is the difference between ikebana and other floral arrangements.

They teach Ikebana in schools in Japan and there are over 3000 schools of Ikebana today. Even though this art has become an obligation for Japanese girls and women, it is not reserved only to them. Most male samurais have often been masters of flowers. Men, from whom some of the greatest artists have been born, keep this tradition until this day.

Humans like to feel secure and to have peace and harmony surrounding them. Art is a pleasant solution for the human need of beauty and harmony. It quenches our inner thirst and without art, we would be missing out on so much brilliance!

The human mind is fascinating and the only barriers it has are the ones we build for it. Few people have the courage to explore their ideas and to express them in some form of art that is in conformity with their personality. An artist lies in all of us and all it takes is some searching and experimenting to bring him out in the open; by doing so, we too could bring joy and an extra touch of beauty into the world we live in and into the lives of those around us.

Innovating ideas lie hidden inside our minds and the fact that they are unique makes them so precious. We should take the time and do our best to study who we really are so we can find those ideas and most importantly, put them into practice.

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