IKEBANA WORKSHOP with Judit Várhelyi ikebana artist

Ikebana (Japanese floral art), one of the traditional Japanese arts, is related to tea culture, garden design and calligraphy, and bears the hallmarks of Japanese aesthetics. It is linked to the ancient Japanese religion, Shinto as well as Buddhism and reflects the approach to nature inherent in both religions. The first floral compositions were part of the Buddhist liturgy; their monumental scale was adapted to the proportions of the temple space. The strict rules of composition and the interpretation of symbols were handed down from master to disciple as part of a secret teaching. The other name for ikebana also refers to this: kado, the 'path of flowers', the path to cosmic unity, to inner harmony. Meditative action helps us to see the unity of the world and to experience the unity of nature and man.

Instead of colour and mass, ikebana works with brushstroke-like lines and empty space; instead of symmetry is rather characterised by asymmetry kept in a dynamic balance. Itsr colours are restrained, its treatment of plants is highly imaginative and ikebana usually achieves a strong effect with little material. The composition forms an organic whole with the vase and the surrounding space. Budding branches and dry twigs are more often used than fully opened flowers in all their beauty, providing thus a reference to the transience of plants and seasons. Ikebana is a direct experience of nature, expressing its vital energy and its variability. Not a work of art for eternity, it is made for the given place and the moment.

Judit Várhelyi lived in Tokyo for more than two decades, first as an architect and later as a university lecturer. She chose ikebana because, as an architect, she was attracted by the graphic beauty of lines and the space formed by a handful of materials. According to traditional Japanese method, she studied under a master teacher, while participating in exhibitions and obtaining an ikkyu advanced teacher's diploma. His master was Suisen Takagi sensei, master teacher at the Sogetsu School. He also gave her her 'flower name', Suisho, meaning 'crystal'.

The workshop starts at noon, and is preceded by a short guided tour starting at 11.30 a.m. in the current exhibition: Moon Above Clouds. The life of Bishop Péter Vay and his Japanese art collection.

The programme is open to a maximum of 8 participants.
Registration is essential: hopprogram@hoppmuseum.hu.

Participation fee:
2500 HUF (museum programme ticket, including exhibition entry on the day of the programme)
+ 5000 HUF (cost of materials) Attention: it is payable only in cash on the spot!