Gen de Art issue 10 2023

AESTHETICS Using Margins to Show the Strengths of Subtractive Aesthetics

Ohara is active both in Japan and abroad. The minimalist style of expression that makes use of margins is said to be characteristic of the uniqueness of Japanese culture. Ikebana expresses the natural qualities and charm of an object by eliminating unnecessary elements and using as simple a process as possible.

For example, when dealing with flowers and trees, the branches are shown to play the leading role, which is a big difference from Western flower arrangements, in which the flowers play the leading role.

Ikebana uses branches to show the movement of beautiful lines. The process of removing unnecessary branches from a single branch draws attention to those beautiful lines, enhancing the presence of each flower by using less, rather than more.

This is also true of other aspects of Japanese culture. “In calligraphy, the blank areas in the space add to the overall expression, and in Kabuki, each gesture, action, or sound is enhanced by stopping and creating silence in-between.

Daring to create these blank spaces is a uniquely Japanese form of expression,” explains Ohara.

Connecting Cultures On 1st June 2022, an ikebana demonstration was held at the Japanese Cultural Institute in Rome, Italy, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Vatican. Performances were given by Ohara, dancer and choreographer Seishiro, and costume designer Hirosumi Saito.

The performances were based on the theme of “connection,” symbolising the relationship between the two countries, and combined traditional art with contemporary dance, embodying the flexibility of the Ohara School, which embraces change in line with the times.

“Traditional culture is often perceived as something that aims to stay the same, but it endures precisely because it has changed.”

“Even the same type of plant has its own personality and no two plants are the same, so it’s a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

I never get bored because I always make discoveries as I assess the nature of the plants I encounter each time,” says Ohara.

This style of ikebana expression, in which the artist’s own way of life is revealed by interacting with the subject, seems to overlap somewhat with the flexible and tough attitude of the Iemoto, who confronts modernity without fear of change.

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Iemoto's work at the Palace of Cancelleria カンチェレリア宮殿での家元制作風景