FLOWERS AND VESSELS
with floral artist Kentaro SUGI

Even in ancient times, long before there was written language, humans gathered for prayers and rituals seeking for a good relation with the deities, and for forgiveness and communal wellbeing. Water, fire, flowers, dance, the sound of drums and bells or other musical instruments, portable shrines and lavish displays were powerful tools for uniting the heart and connecting with transcendent powers.

Each year around the time of the summer solstice, when the sun is at its highest and the days are longest, the city of Kyoto is filled with exuberance, prayer and music. It is the time of the Gion Festival and the Obon Fires.

Appropriate for this special time, we are holding a “Flowers and Vessels” exhibition, inviting the flower artist Kentaro SUGI to decorate our gallery spaces creatively with flowers, using a wide range of vessels of different materials, shapes and sizes

During the show, we will be holding workshops, where the participants can meet with Sugi-san. He will speak about the relation of flowers and display vessels and the old connections between the art of flowers and the art of tea, and show us how to enjoy flowers in daily life. Participants will have the opportunity to actually arrange flowers using vases currently on display in the gallery.

Kentaro SUGI｜杉 謙太郎
Born in Fukuoka, Japan, in 1975, he began studying Ikebana under Kozo Harada at the age of 18. After adapting the classical style of flower arrangement, Sugi went on to pursue his own unique expression. He creates floral art from various perspectives and angles, infusing fresh breath into the traditional ikebana-style. His flower arrangements cover a wide field from small nageire and rika to larger installations in temples. The vitality of the flowers is exposed and highlighted in a moment of life before vanishing without a trace. His works create a time and space where the participants can witness a “gathering of life.”

Since 2013 Kentaro SUGI has exhibited his flower art in temples, galleries, museums, universities and other public and private venues, mainly in Japan, China and France.

Photo: Haruhi OKUYAMA