Yuji Ueno, independent floral artist, will demonstrate the art of Japanese floral design. Formerly trained in traditional Japanese floral arrangement, Sogestu Ikebana, Ueno later sought greater freedom to chart his own course and to develop a flower concept that he calls Hanaike. His aim is to draw out the essence of the natural world and convey the true meaning of beauty in fine ‘flower arrangements’.
With his own distinctive style, he has held numerous solo and group exhibitions and performances in site-specific places in Japan such as an empty lot in downtown Tokyo, a burnt out shell of a building, neighborhood streets, to name a few, and abroad in Bali and Thailand. Ueno frequently collaborates with musicians and artisans. Besides floral installations, Ueno creates designs for interior display and fashion shows. He teaches at the Nagaoka Institute of Design in Tokyo and has lectured at many other institutes and universities in Japan.
At Williams he will give a demonstration of his floral art, seeking inspiration from the place to forge an artistic piece within the local context. The recently published book, Japanese Ikebana for Every Season (Tuttle Publishing, April 2014), will be available and an accompanying photo exhibit will be on display prior to the demonstration.
Monday, October 6 | 4:15pm
Sawyer Library, Forum on Level 1
This event is organized by the Japanese Program with generous funding from the Joseph G. Tompkins Fund, Jr. 1962 Fund for Asian Studies, the Department of Asian Studies and the Center for Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Cultures.
