Ohara
Ohara has been on the forefront of ikebana innovation since its founding in 1895. Ranging from historic interpretations to state of the art innovation, Ohara School focuses great attention on nature and the changing seasons. Harmony of materials with containers and the setting in which the display is placed are considered as the work is created.
Our current and fifth Headmaster is Hiroki Ohara, great-great grandson of Unshin Ohara. He has written that “(o)ur School’s ikebana is not meant to be merely decorative. We take a life form called flowers and recreate their living space. The resulting arrangements must express the beauty and variations of life for others to see. This is the essence of Ohara School ikebana.”
Unshin Ohara founded the Ohara School in the late nineteenth century after Japan opened to the influence of western culture. He developed a new style of arranging on a horizontal plane in his low bowl container, the suiban. In this new Moribana style he was able to express the beauty of nature and incorporate the short stemmed, colorful flowers arriving from the western world. Both the arrangement and container were adopted by many schools and the modern age of Ikebana began. Today the Ohara School has many forms and styles of arranging including Hana–isho, Hana-kanade, Hanamai, Heika, Rimpa, Bunjin as well as Moribana.
Ranging from historic interpretations to state of the art innovation, Ohara School focuses great attention on nature and the changing seasons. Harmony of materials with containers and the setting in which the display is placed are considered as the work is created.
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