Ikebana Walking Exhibition

A free outdoor walking exhibition of Japanese flower arrangement to support Lakeview & Roscoe Village’s local restaurants and businesses! The Japanese Culture Center, in partnership with the Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce and Japanese Arts Foundation, is hosting an Ikebana Walking Exhibition this July 25th and 26th in the Southport Corridor. Ikebana instructors, artists, and students will install flower arrangements from two different schools of Ikebana (Ikenobo and Ohara Ryu) in over a dozen locations. In addition, there will be Ikebana themed, avant-garde Japanese calligraphy and origami flower arrangements on display at some participating locations. This event is generously sponsored by SSA 27 and Melissa & John Ziberna. The exhibition features the Japanese art of flower arrangement, or ikebana (ee-keh-bah-nah) in local restaurants and business storefront windows throughout the Southport Corridor allowing safe public access to this beautiful and unique art. Ikebana flower arrangements are meant to be viewed from a single perspective, rather than in the round as often seen in western arrangements. This allows for a perfect experience viewing this art through the window fronts of your favorite local business! The Lakeview neighborhood was historically considered the unofficial Japantown of Chicago. This collaboration seeks to connect our neighborhood’s past with the present, while supporting local restaurants and businesses. This event is free of charge and will take place from 12 – 6 PM CDT on Saturday (7/25) and 12 – 4 PM CDT on Sunday (7/26). There will also be 1 guided walking tour each day of the event at 12:30 PM. There is a separate registration for the tour. We will also have an informational table near J. Crew (3423 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657). *Galleria Liqueurs (Southport) will be hosting free sakes tasting. Konbini and Kanpai will be hosting free sake & Sapporo tastings on Saturday. *Subject to change Ikebana – Ikenobo Ikebana originated with Ikenobo, beginning in Kyoto, Japan. Passed down through generations of the Ikenobo family and from teacher to student, Ikenobo has spread throughout Japan and around the world for over 1,000 years. The Chicago Chapter was founded over 50 years ago by Senior Professor Ikka Nakashima. She is the second woman ever to receive the highest honor given outside the Imperial family, The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays. The Emperor of Japan personally presented her with this award in Tokyo for her tireless service in promoting Japanese arts and culture. The Japanese Culture Center offers in-person workshops and classes at the introductory and intermediate/advanced levels in the Ikenobo style with Charles Harris Sensei. Charles Harris Sensei Professor Charles Harris is the leader of the Chicago Chapter of the Ikenobo Ikebana Society, a role which he assumed at the request of Professor Nakashima in 2010. The Chapter holds regular exhibitions at the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago and the Chicago Botanic Garden. He is passionate about sharing ikebana with those not frequently able to access Japanese cultural arts. After Professor Nakashima’s passing in 2014, her collection of tea and ikebana implements, kimonos, obi and other cultural items were donated to the Japanese Culture Center. Professor Harris serves as Curator of this extensive collection and is also is a recipient of the Japan America Society of Chicago’s Cultural Achievement Award. Ikebana – Ohara Ryu The Ohara School of Ikebana was founded by Unshin Ohara when he explored the fields and mountains and tried to develop a style of Ikebana that would express the beauty of natural scenery, while incorporating Western-style flowers, creating the Moribana style. The Japanese Culture Center offers several virtual workshops, classes, and information sessions for those looking to learn about and explore a more modernized style of ikebana. Yuko Inoue Darcy Sensei Since 2005, Ms. Inoue-Darcy has been teaching Ikebana throughout Chicagoland. She is a member of and an instructor in the Ohara School of Ikebana, both in Japan and in the U.S. Originally from Japan, Ms. Inoue-Darcy practiced Ikebana, Tea Ceremony and Incense Ceremony from a young age. Ms. Inoue-Darcy moved to the U.S. where she received a Master’s degree in Comparative Literature from Washington University in St. Louis, where she was also an instructor of Japanese Language. In 1994, she accepted a teaching position at West Side High School, a public high school in Gary, Indiana, striving to inspire and nurture students with Japanese art, culture and language. Ms. Inoue-Darcy has traveled to more than 20 countries, exploring her curiosity about each country’s indigenous plants, flowers and arrangement styles. Currently, Ms. Inoue-Darcy is an active Ikebana lecturer, exhibitor, and demonstrator who travels nationally and internationally. She teaches regularly at the Japanese American Service Committee, the Evanston Art Center, the Japanese Culture Center, as well as at her own studio in Lincoln Park. Her principal teachers are the late Hougyoku Hirai, the late Kazuko Ernst, and Houhatsu Takeuchi. Ms. Inoue-Darcy is a President of the Ohara School of Ikebana Chicago Chapter. Shodo Shodo is the Way of the Brush or Japanese calligraphy. It is an artistic way of writing the Japanese language using brush (fude) and ink (sumi). This form of writing with a set brush stroke order allows for a creative way to produce works of art. There are different calligraphy styles: kaisho (correct writing) described as deliberate and clear strokes similar to newspaper print, gyousho (traveling writing) seen as a semi cursive style, and sousho (grass writing) the flowing cursive style. Often tied with meditation, the mind is cleared to let the letters flow out with little effort. This state of mind is called “mu shin” or “no mind state.” Hekiun Oda Sensei Oda Sensei created the calligraphy used for the Ikebana Walk logo and is a representative of the prestigious Genshinkai, based in Kobe, Japan, holding the highest level of instructional certification (Shihan). He also is a recipient of the Japan America Society of Chicago’s Cultural Achievement Award and has had a gallery space in the Uniqolo on Michigan Ave. Mr. Oda was grew up in Kobe City, Japan, and began studying shodo at the age of 5 under the Goun Katsura. Having relocated to Chicago in 1990, Mr. Oda has demonstrated large brush Shodo and held many exhibitions throughout the Chicagoland area and the US. His art is a reflection of his heart and he expresses his form through his powerful and bold strokes. After he moves his brush, there is no going back. SUMI-E Sumi-e is the Way of Japanese Ink Wash Painting. It is an artistic way of capturing the essence of nature using a brush (fude) and black ink (sumi) on rice paper. There are different fundamental brush styles often referred to as the Four Gentlemen: Ran (the orchid) representing grace and spring, Take (the bamboo) embodying strength and summer, Kiku (the chrysanthemum) showcasing resilience and autumn, and Ume (the plum blossom) symbolizing hope and winter. Often tied with a state of mind called "mu shin" or "empty mind," it allows the spirit of the subject to flow through the brush without conscious effort. Patricia Larkin Green Sensei: “As in life, if you make a mistake, you must go on, you cannot cover it up.” “Sumi-e informs my painting; I begin with the meditative process, stretching to inhabit my subject matter and leaving the mark on paper with my impression. It is a lovely way to create.” “Stanley-Jossem Sensei revealed painting as meditation to me. The sumi-e tradition of Asian ink painting from teacher to student moves in a continuum, with no end to the journey for truth. In sumi-e, the brush reveals your truth. The process is important. I learned hand to hand by observing her gracefully sway with her brush, dipping into her soul and tracing the ink like a gentle breath of life over delicate rice paper. I am honored to pass on this tradition.” Ms. Larkin Green has won many awards for her work including the prestigious Special Cultural Achievement Award (中国国際展) from China New Ink Painting Institute Art Museum, Beijing, China “ICCPS (International Chinese Calligraphic Art and Ink Painting Society)”, for “No Wind” 無風 中国国際展 受賞者. In addition, her work received the Second Grand Prize for Ink Painting, 日本ならや本舗賞 Naraya Brush Award, 中国遼寧分会後援会賞 Award, and the prestigious Award of Excellence several years in a row from 国際中国書法国画家協会 ICCPS invitational exhibition at Jade Buddha Temple, LaioNing Province in AnShan City, China. Patricia’s work has been the subject of solo and two person exhibitions in the United States and has exhibited throughout the United States, and in Australia, China and Japan. Origami Ty Yamamoto Ty Yamamoto is a Chicago-based filmmaker, photographer and Japanese language teacher with a passion for origami or the art of folding paper. From childhood, he has loved folding various, intricate paper creations. Yamamoto Sensei has been teaching virtually at the Japanese Culture Center, since 2020 and has shared his art with hundreds of students, as well as, various universities and businesses worldwide. Ishita Gupta Ishita Gupta is a Chicago-based Origami enthusiast who has been folding since 2003. Her work leans toward soft, feminine designs—often inspired by nature and shaped into giftable forms like bags and boxes. She’s especially drawn to experimenting with new textures and patterns, always eager to learn and refine her craft. For Ishita, origami is a quiet joy and a lifelong exploration. *photo of the arrangement below is copyrighted by Ohara Ryu* A current list of businesses that are participating, thus far: * Bombastic Café – Ohara Ryu – 3732 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613 * Bonobos – Ikenobo – 3434 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Candyality – Ohara Ryu – 3737 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613 * Capital One Café – Ikenobo – 3435 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Evereve – Ikenobo – 3440 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Fleet Feet Lakeview – Ikenobo – 3359 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Framebridge Southport – Ikenobo – 3453 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Galleria Liqueurs – Ohara Ryu – 3409 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Hotel Chocolat – Ohara Ryu & Sumi-e – 3334 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Itoko – Bonsai – 3325 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Konbini & Kanpai – Ikenobo -1433 W. Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Krista K Boutique – Ohara Ryu – 3458 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Lush – Origami – 3430 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Music Box Theatre – Ohara Ryu – 3733 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60613 * Noodles & Company – Origami – 3419 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Paper Source – Shodo & Sumi-e – 3543 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Sephora – Ohara Ryu – 3405 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Southport Grocery and Cafe – Ikenobo – 3552 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657 * Starbucks – Ohara Ryu – 3400 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657