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Beauty in minimalism

SoBo resident and President, Bombay Chapter, Ohara School of Ikebana, Nalini Doongursee sheds light on the uplifting art of ikebana

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The Japanese are known for their love of nature and all things beautiful, such as origami, ink painting, calligraphy, pottery and much more. Another feather in their cap is the subtle and uplifting art of ikebana, which simply put is the art of arranging flowers. But don't dismiss it as just another expensive hobby, advises Nalini Doongursee, President, Bombay Chapter, Ohara School of Ikebana.

In Japanese, 'ike' means 'to make live' and 'bana' originates from the word 'hana', which means flower. Ikebana, thus, loosely translates to making the flowers live by adopting a disciplined approach. "Ikebana is all about creating seemingly simple art, but that which respects balance, harmony, measurements and colour combinations," explains Doongursee, who has been practising the art since 1972 and has been leading the Bombay Chapter of the Ohara School of Ikebana for the past 14 years.

On prodding Doongursee about what got her hooked on to ikebana, she quips, "I got married in 1971 and came to Mumbai from Gwalior, where we did not have exposure to such an art. On one of my visits to the Jehangir Art Gallery, I was fascinated by an ikebana exhibition. I've been eating, sleeping and dreaming ikebana ever since," she gushes. It's no wonder then that Doongursee has earned the penultimate degree of 'Sub Grand Master' from Tokyo, Japan. For the uninitiated, the ikebana school of thought offers 13 degrees that allow one to gradually master this quaint art.

The Ohara School of Ikebana, which dates back to approximately 600 years, focuses on the simplicity of the flower arrangements. Doongursee explains, "At the Ohara School of Ikebana, we bring out the beauty of the arrangement using less materials, as opposed to some schools of the western world, where they use lots of flowers." There's beauty in minimalism as Doongursee elucidates, "Ikebana gives you so much peace that you forget your worries when you're working with it."

The Bombay Chapter of the Ohara School of Ikebana is a 45-year-old institution clubbing both Mumbai and Pune. Being the first formal Chapter in India, it has 300 members, who promote and propagate Ohara Ikebana by way of conducting exhibitions, demonstrations and workshops.
In the recent past, the Ohara School of Ikebana has come out with calendars and a diary featuring Ikebana creations. The members were able to sell these and forward the proceeds to the Red Cross Society, Japan, for the rehabilitation of tsunami victims.
The 'Ikebana in Black and White' exhibition will showcase 52 creations, put up in black and white containers.

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