Contemporary Craft’s latest exhibition looks a little different every time you see it. Though the lineup of artists stays the same, a group of ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) artisans from Sogetsu Pittsburgh make subtle changes to the space. Ikebana means “living flowers,” and so it’s in keeping with tradition to not leave things stagnant. The show, fully titled 芸[Gei]: The Beauty of Ephemeral and Eternal, features woodwork and sculpture by Tadao Arimoto, Yoko Sekino-Bové, Carol Kumata, and Miwa Neishi.
The Beauty of Ephemeral and Eternal at Contemporary Craft
Contemporary Craft Executive Director Rachel Saul Rearick told TABLE that “Through 芸[Gei]: The Beauty of Ephemeral and Eternal, we are inviting viewers to explore the duality between Ikebana and the nature of well-crafted objects.”
Each artist made work that would serve as a vessel for floral arrangements. But, true to its name, these arrangements are ephemeral. Rearick said that “The flower arrangements are being regularly changed by Sogetsu Ikebana Pittsburgh throughout the run of the exhibition. So, every week there will be an opportunity to experience the work as the seasons evolve.”
About Sogetsu Pittsburgh
Ikebana is a traditional Japanese art form that goes back thousands of years and mainly served tea ceremonies and other ritual contexts. However, the Sogetsu movement is a modern interpretation that began in 1927. The founder, Sofu Teshigahara, said that ikebana could be done “anytime, anywhere, by anyone” rather than only being for the most formal settings. In 1990, Joan Walter and Reiko Nakajima founded their a local chapter of it in Pittsburgh.
Nakajima and instructor Atsumi Sewell worked on Gei and will lead two workshops during its run, one on October 5 and one on November 9. The organization had a residency at Fallingwater in 2023, but this is their first time working on a show like this. Contemporary Craft hopes that by combining Sogetsu Pittsburgh’s work with a gallery show, they can highlight the ways in which the two crafts overlap. Ikebana is an art form with a deep sense of artisanship behind it, and fine art requires the same aesthetic sensibilities as ikebana.
Along with the exhibition’s open hours, Contemporary Craft is featuring a wide array of interdisciplinary programming. Along with the ikebana demonstrations by Nakajima and Sewell, the gallery has a tea ceremony on October 19, one of the ikebana’s traditional uses. Additionally, a shamisen and shakuhachi concert by Devon Osamu Tipp and Kanoko Kamata will take place on November 1. Contemporary Craft is also offering a matcha demonstration every Wednesday. Who could say no to a free cup of tea every week among beautiful works of art?
A Moment of Rest and Tranquility
Something being both ephemeral and eternal might feel like a contradiction, but ones of ikebana’s meditative qualities is that it allows people to sit with contradictory or complex ideas.
Ikebana celebrates how beauty is often made of contradicting elements. The hardness of stone and the softness of flowers are both qualities of natural materials. Letting your eyes linger on ikebana arrangements allows you to really focus and feel each part of it deeply. “A number of visitors have told me that this exhibition offers a moment of rest and tranquility for them,” Rearick said. 芸[Gei]: The Beauty of Ephemeral and Eternal is open through January 13, 2025.
Story by Emma Riva / Photography by Reagan West-Whitman
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