A single branch of purple camelia beautifully rises from a low pottery container, handcrafted by artisan Makoto Nakata.
It all began in Kyoto, the birthplace of the Japanese art of flower arranging. Tsutomu Adachi started studying with a teacher in 2004, then established his studio Hana Narai and in 2011 became a teacher himself. He works alone with the sound of his sons playing in the background. He takes inspiration from nature, from mountains, wood and rivers whilst on long walks. "I value natural materials as they are. You don’t need to modify flowers and tree branches to arrange them," he explains. But you have to be quick: "It takes me from one to 50 minutes maximum to make a composition. Flowers are living things: if you don’t arrange them soon after cutting them, they will weaken and die."
Read the full interviewPhoto: Tsutomu Adachi©Hana Narai
A single branch of purple camelia beautifully rises from a low pottery container, handcrafted by artisan Makoto Nakata.
Photo: Tsutomu Adachi©Hana Narai
Green branches and a touch of colour for this ikebana made with eupatorium, gentian, Japanese rose and Japanese rowan. The vase is handmade by artisan Junko Yamamoto.
Photo: Tsutomu Adachi©Hana Narai
Magnolia and roses arranged in a tall, striped pottery vase by artisan Tokuhiro Masubuchi. The arrangement is definitely ikebana, but with a touch of a western-style bouquet. The palette is soft, dominated by pink and white.
Photo: Tsutomu Adachi©Hana Narai
Colourful clematis, bellflower and crocosmia aurea are arranged in a round wooden vase by artisan Jiro Suda. The colour of the container reminds us of earth and soil, the flowers’ hues are full of joy and summer spirit.
Photo: Tsutomu Adachi©Hana Narai
Tall and elegant, a single lotus flower is accompanied by its big round leaves. The striped pottery vase is handcrafted by artisan Tokuhiro Masubuchi.