Fascinated by the criss-crossing branches and bent necks of the Persian lilacs, Watarai matched them with an undecorated porcelain vase crafted by artist Kiyoko Morioka. The whiteness and simple form of the latter beautifully contrast the movement and colours of the flowers.

Five milky white pumpkins are balancing on five white porcelain vases. Each one of them is differently oriented and defies gravity in its own way. To the artist, it’s a metaphor of life and its different expressions.

Used as we are to see Brussels sprouts in grocery stores, we may be surprised by how they look on the plant, with heads sprouting in a spiral around a thick stalk and broad leaves on top of it. Watarai found this Brussels sprout plant at a farmers’ market in Kamakura and made an ikebana of it, just placing it in a very small container that highlights its shape and lines.

Three elements comprise this ikebana: a tall, black vase; wisteria vines collected in the mountains, that Watarai chose for their shape and size and wrapped around the vase; a branch of fragrant jasmine in bloom, that he carefully hung to the wisteria to replicate its natural appearance.

A branch of apple mint fell in the artist’s garden because of the heavy rain, yet continued sprouting new, vertical buds. Impressed by its vitality, Watarai turned it into an ikebana that doesn’t lean on its container but seems to float in the air.