大溝松清園 | 盆栽
28 October - 31 October 2022
“Kakegai” (rock face), black pine (approx. 50 years old, 31cm)
From time to time we travel in search of wilderness. In the high mountains at altitudes over 2,000 meters the trees and shrubs grow slowly in harsh conditions, their branches twisted by abrasive winds. We admire their strange shapes, listen to our heartbeats and nurture our trust that we will safely pass through any of life’s hardships. Sometimes we go deep into the forest and touch the bark of an old tree. What is it that makes theses places and touches so peaceful and calming?
Bonsai trees lead us on a journey beyond time and place. The way that they continue to grow despite storms, sunshine, and the numerous other restraints which humans impose on them, resembles the trees we encounter on our journey into the wilderness. We are astonished that such the small vessel could support such an old tree. At the same time we admire the vast landscape created by the branches and leaves of these small trees. Large and small. Enduring and expressive, lines and points, past and future, still life and dynamic aliveness – a bonsai tree exists at the intersection of many diverging poles.
Our exhibition welcomes Yosuke Omizo, the current owner of Omizo Shoseien in Kyoto, which has been growing and dealing in bonsai for four generations. Shoseien translates literally to garden of vivid pines. The exhibition will show a wide range of bonsai trees from small bonsai for first-time bonsai lovers to large bonsai to be admired as art. Bonsai originated in China in ancient times and has been practiced in Japan since the Heian period (794-1185). The exhibition will take visitors on a journey through the world of bonsai, which has been attracting renewed attention in recent years as a traditional and modern art form.
Euonymus alatus (15 years old, 23cm)
Red pine (approx. 100 years old, 70 cm)
Kouchiwa-maple (approx. 20 years old , 20 cm with leaves)
Mountain persimmon (approx. 35 years old, 60cm)
Yosuke OMIZO | 大溝陽亮
Born in 1971. 4th generation of Shoseien. After graduating from high school, he studied bonsai for two years under Yoshiaki Yoshiaki III. After completing a five-year apprenticeship at Mitsuya Tokaien in Toyohashi in Aichi prefecture he took over Shoseien.
Member of Japan Bonsai Association
Board member of the Japan Small Bonsai Association.
Certified Instructor of All Japan Small Bonsai Association.
Awarded the “Organising Committee Chairman’s Prize at the 42nd, 45th, and 47th Japan Bonsai Art Exhibition.
Works with the Imperial Household Agency.