KEY POINTS:
Age 11 sounds awfully young to become a headmaster but that's what happened to Sen'ei Ikenobo when his father died in 1945. Sen'ei Ikenobo, the title - and name - inherited from his father, took Buddhist vows and settled into a lifelong calling as 45th Headmaster of the Ikenobo school of ikebana, known simplistically as the Japanese art of flower arranging.
There is much more to ikebana than placing a few branches and flowers in a vase. Dating to ancient times, the art was established as a formal cultural pursuit in Japan in the 15th century, and has been evolving ever since. The school of Ikenobo, based in Kyoto, leads the way.
"Rather than re-create the shape a plant had in nature, we create with branches, leaves and flowers a new form which holds our impression of a plant's beauty and the mark of our spirit," says Ikenobo.
"Like a poem or painting made with flowers, Ikenobo's ikebana expresses the beauty of flowers and the beauty of longing in our own hearts. It is my deepest hope that the beauty of Ikenobo will increasingly serve as a way of drawing the world's people together."
The work of Sen'ei Ikenobo, now 73, has been recognised worldwide, with demonstrations across the globe over the past 40 years in countries as diverse as Brazil and Russia.
Next week, as part of Japan Week celebrations, the master will be in Auckland for an exhibition and live demonstration.
If you want to gain an insight into the meditative and creative traditions of Ikenobo ikebana, see:
* Exhibition by Sen'ei Ikenobo,
Langham Hotel November 23-34
Live demonstration, St Matthew-in-the-City, November 25, 7.30-8.30pm
