Ikebana master

Twelve years ago, when Earl Shimabukuro needed a diversion to help ease the stress of his job as a general contractor, he turned to a Japanese art that suited his penchant for building things: flower arranging.

"Yeah, ikebana is not the most macho hobby in today’s world," said Shimabukuro, 60, with a smile. "But did you know that in ancient Japan, samurai practiced both ikebana and the tea ceremony to achieve concentration and peace of mind and spirit before going to battle?"

In fact, he noted, for centuries ikebana was considered an art practiced solely by men. "It wasn’t until the 1860s that women were allowed to learn it," he said.

Shimabukuro finds many similarities between ikebana and his profession.

"Like construction, you start with tools and materials and wind up with something that looks beautiful and fills a need," he said. "People make ikebana for decorations, as gifts or just to feel good. I love the process and seeing the results."

Shimabukuro came to ikebana by chance — or fate, as he would have you believe. He remembers flipping through the Spring 2003 course catalog of the Academy Art Center at Linekona (now the Honolulu Museum of Art School) and being drawn to the flower-arranging class.

"I never noticed it before, so it must have been that I was ready for this journey to start," he said. "At the time, I was running around like a chicken without a head, wearing many hats to make sure that work on my jobs kept moving. I needed to do something relaxing, that would give me a break from all that. I like art; I had already done painting and drawing, so I thought, why not try ikebana? That would be something really different."

He registered for the six-week class and wound up becoming a regular ikebana student at the art school for nine years.

"From the beginning I enjoyed ikebana even though I was the only male in the class," Shimabukuro said. "I guess watching my mom and her friends do it when I was young rubbed off on me. But I thought I needed to stock up on Band-Aids because the needles, scissors and plants poked and sliced my fingers. The first few weeks, I came home with cut, bleeding hands. Then I started properly doing the techniques my sensei (teacher) showed us to minimize injuries.

"Being a guy, I guess I was handling the tools and materials too aggressively at first."

Today Shimabukuro teaches ikebana classes at the art school, gives free workshops at elementary and high schools and is chairman of this year’s 10th annual Splendors of Ikebana, which opens Friday and is presented by Ikebana International’s Honolulu Chapter 56.

Themed the Dynamic Tension of Color, the exhibit will feature about 30 creations by 45 artists (some arrangements will be collaborations). One of Shimabukuro’s entries in the exhibit — installed on the Beretania Street side of the art school — explodes common notions about ikebana as a sedate, minimalist art form. His taisaku (large-scale ikebana) comprises nine bamboo poles 12 to 20 feet tall. The poles are painted magenta, and Shimabukuro split the tops into thin "branches" that arch toward the ground. The branches, tipped with brightly colored plastic balls, sway and bounce in the breeze.

A cube, a pyramid, two triangles and two oblong shapes fashioned from bamboo sticks complete the display. The effect is of fireworks erupting from the ground.

"My taisaku is an example of the sogetsu school’s style of contemporary, freestyle ikebana," Shimabukuro said. "Sogetsu has few rules and restrictions; it allows a lot of flexibility and is getting bolder every year, which is exciting for me because I’m a spontaneous type of guy who gets bored quickly. While I’m working on an ikebana, I’m already thinking about what I’m going to do next — something even more beautiful, dramatic and interesting."

Although he is skilled in his craft and recognized as a leader in local ikebana circles, Shimabukuro insists he is by no means a "master." Rather, he marvels at the many ways ikebana continues to bring him joy and fulfillment beyond the aesthetics.

"Ikebana has helped me appreciate nature more and achieve balance in my life," he said. "It has put everything in perspective. Yes, I still have to deal with problems and challenges, but I’ve learned to keep an open mind and a positive attitude. Ikebana has also honed my artistic eye, and it calms me during hectic, stressful times. It’s like doing meditation with my eyes open."

ABOUT IKEBANA

Ikebana (“giving life to flowers”) is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It spotlights the vast array of colors, shapes and lines found in the stems, leaves, fruit, seed pods, blossoms and branches of plants through the minimalist approach of “less is more.”

Just as important is ikebana’s spiritual aspects. Practitioners create ikebana in silence, with respect, patience and appreciation for the beauty, rhythm and order of nature. By noticing details and giving the harmonious placement of each plant its utmost attention, practitioners bond closely with nature. This is meticulous, methodical work that is never completed in a rush.

Scholars believe ikebana dates back more than 500 years to a priest from the Buddhist Rokkaku-do Temple in Kyoto who was renowned for his skill in arranging altar flowers to honor Buddha and the spirits of the dead. Other priests came from near and far to learn his style and philosophy about flower arranging. Thus, ikenobo (meaning “priest of the lake”), the oldest school of ikebana, was established around 1462.

Many other schools with distinctive styles eventually emerged, and ikebana became a form of creative expression common among all levels of Japanese society. Today there are more than 3,000 ikebana schools worldwide, the predominant ones being ikenobo, ohara and sogetsu.

Founded in 1956, Ikebana International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and appreciation of all styles of ikebana. It has 7,600 members in 163 chapters worldwide. For more information about Ikebana International’s Honolulu Chapter 56, email information@ikebana-hawaii.org or visit ikebana-hawaii.org.