Ikebana: The Zen Way of Flowers - by Yuji Ueno (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

It's all about light, texture, color, shape and balance!

Filled with inspiring images of unconventional flower arrangements, this new book by Japanese Ikebana master Yuji Ueno shows you how to use light and position as well as color, shape and texture--of both flowers and vessel--to make inexpensive floral arrangements that convey a Zen sense of simplicity, calm and balance.

Ueno's arrangements are informal, but authentic and true to the original wabi-sabi spirit of Ikebana practiced by Zen Buddhist masters of the art.

In this book you'll find:

• Tips on how to select flowers and foliage, choose a vessel to harmonize with the available light in and design of your spaces, and more
• Inspiration to utilize the beauty of a flower's many stages, the imperfections of leaves and branches, and the design potential in old and unusual vases
• A sense of connectedness to the seasons of the year and how to translate that into seasonal arrangements using found and foraged foliage
• An appreciation for simple and imperfect components and a slow, mindful approach to arranging your flowers

Ueno's unique approach makes it clear that you don't need special training, expensive equipment or store-bought flowers to create beautiful arrangements. All you need is an open mind, a sense of awareness--and a good set of clippers--to create Ikebana that are truly unique, expressive and uplifting.

The Zen art of flower arranging is now accessible to everyone!

Review Quotes

"This visually striking art book will appeal to all who appreciate the beauty of ikebana and might inspire readers to try their hand at creating their own hanaike using Ueno's techniques." --Library Journal

"Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, achieves its highest level in what Ueno (Ikebana for Every Season, 2014) calls hanaike (vase)....it's elegance at its best, guaranteeing a stunning presentation of flower and vase in as natural a setting as possible. [...] Plenty of information about light, vessel choice, balance, energy, and gravity, as well as incorporating branches and stems, makes this a true how-to. Recommendations about infusing personality, from cross-form applications (jumoji) that secure the arrangement to the stacking of two vessels, make this especially remarkable. The very definition of elegance in pictures. -- Barbara Jacobs, Booklist

About the Author

Yuji Ueno is an independent floral artist who has developed his own unique philosophy and artistic sensibility--by turns outrageously passionate and exceptionally tranquil. Yuji has created a distinctive style that is not linked with any particular Ikebana school, allowing him the freedom to chart his own course. He regularly wins national Ikebana challenge competitions in Japan, teaches widely and exhibits throughout the world. He is the author of Japanese Ikebana for Every Season.