Sōgetsu-ryū (草月流) is a school of ikebana, or Japanese floral art.
History
Sōgetsu was founded by Sōfū Teshigahara in 1927.[1] Sōfū's father was an ikebana master, who taught his son from childhood. Sōfū wanted to become a painter, but he found that the possibilities for creative expression in using green materials are endless, just as in painting.[2]
He found that the strict rules of traditional ikebana did not allow individual expression. He broke away from traditional ikebana and formed his school in 1926.[3] In the beginning, he promoted the school through radio.
As of 2016, there have been four headmasters. Sōfū's daughter Kasumi was a gifted artist. She became the second headmaster until she died at age 47. Her elder brother, film director Hiroshi Teshigahara, took over. The current headmaster is Akane, Sōfū's granddaughter.[3]
The Sōgetsu school is an open-minded and avant-gardist school. The school was one of the first to have English textbooks.[4]
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A famous saying by Sōfū Teshigahara and credo of the Sōgetsu school is that Sōgetsu can be done by anyone, anywhere, anytime with any kind of material.[5]
The school is led by Akane Teshigahara, the founder's granddaughter.[6] Noted practitioners include Master Instructor Kōka Fukushima, whose masterclasses worldwide have received acclaim in floral art circles.[7]
The headquarters was constructed by the architect Kenzo Tange.[8]
Beverly Harden, the mother of the actress Marcia Gay Harden, was a practitioner of the Sōgetsu school.[9][10] She later became also president of the Ikebana International Washington, DC chapter.[11]
Styles
Sōgetsu typically uses either a tall, narrow vase such as one made from a bamboo stem, or a flat, open dish called a "suiban" in which the flowers and branches are fixed in a hidden kenzan spiked. However, other forms are possible, including highly elaborate creations that fill an entire hall. The arrangements in a tall vase are called Nageire, the ones in a shallow container are called Moribana.
One of Sōgetsu's central ideas is that an arrangement should have three strong elements, each with certain proportions and arranged at a certain angle. But there is considerable latitude to work with whatever materials are available and to express the spirit of the moment.
Headmasters
- 1st Teshigahara Sōfū ( 勅使河原蒼風), 1900–1979
- 2nd Teshigahara Kasumi (勅使河原霞), 1932–1980
- 3rd Teshigahara Hiroshi (勅使河原宏), 1927–2001
- 4th Teshigahara Akane (勅使河原茜) b. 1960[12]
References
External links
Media related to Sōgetsu-ryū at Wikimedia Commons