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Japanese art of flower arrangement on display at Sackville Public Library

Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. A Halifax teacher of the art form and her students put on an exhibit at the Sackville Public Library.

Exhibit put on by Halifax ikebana teacher and her students

Andrew Lam · CBC News ·
A woman with shoulder-length hair wears a sweater and stands in front of book shelves with flower arrangements on top of them.
Miyako Ballesteros is a teacher of the Sogetsu school of ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement. She also owns The Ikebana Shop on Quinpool Road in Halifax. (Andrew Lam/CBC)

Visitors to the Sackville Public Library this weekend are being treated to a landscape of unique flower arrangements placed among the bookshelves. 

The exhibit showcased the Japanese art of flower arrangement called ikebana. 

Miyako Ballesteros is a Halifax teacher of the Sogetsu school of the art form who put on the exhibit alongside her students. She said ikebana differs from most western styles of flower arrangement.

"We appreciate the negative spaces, asymmetrical or unbalanced beauty," Ballesteros said, adding that the art helps develop one's appreciation of branches in addition to flowers. 

A wide arrangement of flowers with branches and leaves branching out to the left sits in a round vase on top of a book shelf.
Ikebana practitioners learn to appreciate the texture and beauty of branches, in addition to flowers, said Halifax ikebana teacher Miyako Ballesteros. (Andrew Lam/CBC)

Ikebana is a way of life, Ballesteros said. "Once you start learning, there's nothing to stop you, just motivation." 

Nova Scotia is a perfect place to practice the art, she said.

"When you go outside you will find interesting shape of plants. Doesn't matter if it's in your backyard or ... just dropping on the street after windy days."

Two tall flower arrangements sit on a book shelf with other bookshelves and flowers in the background.
This exhibit at the Sackville Public Library is put on by Ballesteros and her students. It ends Sunday. (Andrew Lam/CBC)

 

A close-up photo of several types of flowers arranged together.
Ballesteros has been teaching ikebana in Halifax for nearly two decades. (Andrew Lam/CBC)

Ikebana has changed how Media Chalabi looks at the world. She's one of Ballesteros's students and has been practicing the art form for 10 years now.

"It is something special ... not just putting flowers in the vase," Chalabi said. 

A spiraling flower arrangement sits on top of a book shelf.
This ikebana arrangement was created by Halifax resident Media Chalabi. (Andrew Lam/CBC)
A tall vase holds flowers, leaves and branches that feel like they are overflowing in a way.
This is an annual exhibition, Chalabi said. (Andrew Lam/CBC)

For Chalabi, practising ikebana is a form of meditation.

"When I feel stress, I'm doing ikebana ... [then] I become happy."

Sunday is the final day of the exhibit, with a live demonstration at 1 p.m.

A stone vase holds some flowers and tall, curling branches. The vase is on top of a book shelf in a library.
According to Ballesteros, ikebana practitioners can achieve different levels of certification, similar to Japanese martial arts. (Andrew Lam/CBC)
An arrangement of branches, some straight and some curved, contains flower buds in the centre.
An ikebana practitioner can use plants from any season, Ballesteros said. (Andrew Lam/CBC)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrew Lam

Reporter/Associate Producer

Andrew Lam (they/she) is a Chinese-Canadian and trans reporter for CBC Nova Scotia. They are interested in 2SLGBTQIA+, labour and data-driven stories. Andrew also has a professional background in data analytics and visualization.

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