An Ikebana exhibition was organized by Bengali director and writer Promita Bhowmik at The Bengal Ghorana.

So, what exactly is Ikebana? Ikebana is a seven-century-old Japanese art form that involves artistically arranging cut stems, leaves, and flowers in vases and other containers. One must be familiar with a variety of fastening and positioning techniques in order to arrange the stems and flowers precisely as desired. People take ikebana classes to learn these techniques. It typically takes three to five years to develop these expressive and technical abilities.

The traditional Japanese art form of ikebana, also called kado or the “way of flowers”, entails the stylised arrangement of flowers and other natural materials.

One of the most important highlights of this art form is minimalism. Ikebana’s philosophy is based on Japanese aesthetics, which prioritises understated elegance, simplicity, and reverence for the natural world. Ikebana is more than just flower arrangement; it’s about establishing a balance between the natural elements of the arrangement and the surrounding area.

Ikebana flower arrangements convey a sense of harmony, balance, and the beauty of impermanence in addition to producing a beautiful visual effect. Ikebana tends to be more understated than Western floral arrangements, which frequently highlight symmetry and the use of a broad range of flowers and foliage.

Promita learned this technique and utilized the flowers of Bengal for creating the art form.

The director had recently completed the shoot of her feature film, Ahana. It is doing the rounds of various film festivals where it is getting well appreciated.

The exhibition was presented by the Smiling Green Foundation.

Priyanka Dutta