Sun Cities Chapter #167, Arizona, USA
Our presenter was one of our own members, Wyman Wong.
Wyman studied Ohara School Ikebana for over 10 years under Sensei Reiko Kawamura, a world-renowned Ohara Grandmaster. Wyman also has a Fourth Grade Sogetsu Teaching Certificate, but she sees no conflict in working in both schools. “While each school has its unique styles and characteristics, all schools still adhere to the fundamental Ikebana principles,” she says.
Workshop participants brought their tools and a large suiban and were given a variety of floral materials to work with. At the end of the meeting, Ms. Wong conducted a critique of the newly designed arrangements, allowing all members to profit from her personal attention to their work. Ms. Wong has contributed arrangements to the Japanese Friendship Garden in Phoenix and the Asian Gallery of the Phoenix Art Museum. In April 2021, when the COVID pandemic halted all meetings, she performed a series of on-line demonstrations for members to do in their homes. She hopes that the study of Ikebana leads people to a greater appreciation of nature and a stronger sense of the peace and beauty it adds to life.
