Delicate Play with Nature

Jean Liao

An inch more or an inch less may not matter much in Western floral arrangement, but in Ikebana each centimeter and every component has a particular relation to each other. The artist’s intentions and creativity is expressed through the combination of colours, natural shapes, and even the vessel. Ikebana is the ancient Japanese art of floral arrangement that has spread all over, with Taiwan being home to the second largest population of Ikebana practitioners in the world.

The art form emphasizes linear perfection and naturalism; an insistence on understanding the natural growth of the material used and a love for nature in all phases. Let your imagination carry you and be spirited away to ancient Japan by Instructor Jean Liao and her fellow artists’ creations, and prepare to learn the art yourself!

The Ikebana International World Convention is held every five years in Japan, where top ikebana artists demonstrate their art and training workshops are offered by high-level teachers from ikebana schools.  Professor Liao, having taken up residence in Toronto since the mid 90s, is a previous President of the Toronto Chapter of Ikebana International, and is often sought to demonstrate the art including at the 2010 G20 summit in Toronto. Jean believes that the art of flower arranging is one language which connects people and touches all hearts.