I took a couple of months off photography after the summer heatwave. The flowering season was cut short. I have a decent set of the Homegrown Series photos to edit this year. But I want to have deeper philosophical knowledge to inform my work and my life.
So, I took Japanese ikebana flower arrangement classes. The art originated in the ancient indigenous religions as flower offerings for the altars. Later it was refined by the Buddhist philosophy. Ikebana is popular among women today but in the beginning, it was an art form practiced solely by male priests, samurai warriors and the rulers. Some of the compositions involve tough branches that would require a pair of strong hands.
Under the instruction of Sensei Aya Tanaka, I get to use my eyes to see three-dimensional spaces again. This is something I’ve abandoned long ago as a photographer, as we create depths only with the light and shadows.
“Ikebana is popular among women today but in the beginning, it was an art form practiced solely by male priests, samurai warriors and the rulers.”
I also learned to appreciate the floral materials with my fingers. Soft and hard stems, colour-changing leaves and stinging prickly buds. The composition process was spontaneous, holistic and intuitive. You finish when you’re ready to stop.
The practice is like meditating and thinking on your feet simultaneously. Sometimes I was besieged by anxiety mid composition, tore out the entire arrangement and made a completely new design.
At this point, the ikebana that I’ve learned and my Homegrown Series have little in common apart from appreciating imperfections, nature and mindfulness. Ikebana is strategic while the Homegrown Series is reactive because I work with whatever discarded bottles and garden flowers that landed my way.
Ikebana is about the surgical reduction to the clear the view, while the Homegrown Series is trying to hoard as many precious blooms as possible that survived the weather. I clearly have some attachment issues to sort out.
I truly enjoy exploring the Western and Eastern ways of flower compositions. I love experimenting with the high end ceramic vases at ikebana, and the low-level discarded jars with the Homegrown Series.
At the heart of it, both practices aren’t really about the flowers. 90% of the journey is impossible to capture on camera. The art is in the time spent on composing the ikebana and the challenge of growing the Homegrown Series flowers. It’s about the relationship I have with myself and my environment.
zarinaholmesphotography.com/homegrown-series
“Ikebana is strategic while the Homegrown Series is reactive because I work with whatever discarded bottles and garden flowers that landed my way.”
After The Rain 