Sōgetsu-ryū

Sōgetsu-ryū (草月流^?) is a school of Ikebana, or Japanese floral art.

Sogetsu was founded by Sōfu Teshigahara in 1927. Sofu's father was an Ikebana master, who taught his son from childhood. Sofu wanted to become a painter, but he found that the possibilities for creative expression in using green materials are endless, just as in painting.

He found that the strict rules of traditional ikebana did not allow individual expression. He broke away from traditional ikebana and formed his school in 1926. In the beginning, he promoted the school through radio.

As of 2016, there have been four headmasters. Sofu's daughter Kazumi was a gifted artist. She became the second headmaster until she died at age 47. Her elder brother, film director Hiroshi Teshigahara, took over. The current headmaster is Akane, Sofu's granddaughter.

The Sogetsu school is an open-minded and avant-gardist school. The school was one of the first to have English textbooks.

A famous saying by Sofu Teshigahara and credo of the Sogetsu school is that Sogetsu can be done by anyone, anywhere, anytime with any kind of material.

The school is led by Akane Teshigahara, the founder's granddaughter. Noted practitioners include Master Instructor Koka Fukushima, whose masterclasses worldwide have received acclaim in floral art circles.

The headquarters was constructed by the architect Kenzo Tange.

Sōgetsu typically uses either a tall, narrow vase such as one made from a bamboo stem, or a flat, open dish in which the flowers and branches are fixed in a hidden kenzan spiked support. However, other forms are possible, including highly elaborate creations that fill an entire hall. The arrangements in a tall vase are called Nageire, the once in a shallow container are called Moribana.

One of Sōgetsu's central ideas is that an arrangement should have three strong elements, each with certain proportions and arranged at a certain angle. But there is considerable latitude to work with whatever materials are available and to express the spirit of the moment.

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Wikipedia