Exploring the creative self through Ikebana

margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-line-height-alt: 11.2pt;background:white margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-line-height-alt: 11.2pt;background:whiteThe ancient Japanese art form of

flower arrangements

known as

Ikebana

has been practiced for centuries. The tradition dates back to times when floral offerings were made at the altars in

Japan

. The floral art form is popular today across the globe.margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-line-height-alt: 11.2pt;background:whiteStudents of Raia based V M Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE) created ikebana arrangements as part of their internal assessment.margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-line-height-alt: 11.2pt;background:whiteThis art is based on three important cornerstones: asymmetry, space and depth representing the sky, land and humanity. In the spiritual context it signifies heaven, humanity and

earth

. The arrangement is to be made in three parts - tall branches referred to as 'shin', 'soe' is the middle stem and lastly 'hikae' which is the lowest stemsmargin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-line-height-alt: 11.2pt;background:whiteThe students were all graded based on their ability to showcase their talents, creativity and uniqueness through the art form.margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;mso-line-height-alt:11.2pt;background:whiteExplained Purva Sharma, a student of the institute on her work of art, "The yellow Lily represents the older generation, lavender representing the youth and the white Orchids represent the children and new-born . My creation represents the circle of life.margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;mso-line-height-alt:11.2pt;background:whitePurva drew inspiration for her work from the novel The Price Of Spring by author Daniel Abraham where Daniels writes that

flowers

don't return every spring, they are replaced. He adds that as it is for spring flowers, so it is for humanity. We are all replaced as time moves on. margin-bottom:8.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: normal;background:whiteAnother student Tahira Rodrigues named her artwork 'Wild and Free' and said, “My arrangement shows how beauty in the world can shine through its distraction. The world is filled with so much beauty that man destroys by cutting trees, burning fields and plucking flowers. Yet, the flowers spread joy through their beauty and fragrance. The wooden piece in my creation represents destruction while the flowers are emerging through the spaces in the wood eager to show its beauty.”margin-bottom:8.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-line-height-alt: 10.45pt;background:whiteJohan Cardozo, explaining his arrangement says, “In my flower arrangement, I chose the Red Ginger Lily (Alpinia Purpurata) as the Shin as it is a tall follower and symbolizes heaven. I picked carnation flowers as my Soe and the flower Baby's Breath as 'Hikae”