Banmi Shōfū-ryū (晩美生風流) is a school of Ikebana, an ancient Japanese art form that involves arranging flowers for spiritual purposes.
Kado, which means “way of the flower,” is used in Ikebana practice and began to spread into more of an aesthetic than a spiritual representation during this time.
[1] Ikebana is a way to connect with the flowers through active meditation, producing calmness and concentration for those who engage in this complex and expressional art.
[1] Frequent visits to Kaohsiung Taiwan allowed Fooks to continue her studies and eventually earn her professor's certificate and authorization for the establishment of Banmi Shofu Ryu.
[1] Fooks began her teachings in Tainan, Taiwan and continued to exhibit and demonstrate her works in several countries around the world for over 50 years.
[1] Before her passing, Fooks formed a flower relationship with Dr. Ricardo Bansho Carrasco and later named him 2nd Generation Headmaster (Iemoto) of Banmi Shofu Ryu.
[1] The vision created by Bessie Banmi-sensei Fooks and Bansho Ric-sensei Carrasco viewed Banmi flowers, kado.
[1] The sensei will guide the class to start after meditation; and at this time, participants are obligated to stop conversing and sit.
[1] In order to develop the technique essential for creating designs that utilize an assortment of materials, the artist must first practice standardized styles.
The classic standard Banmi Shofu Ryu designs are Moribana, Nageire, Chabana, Oseika and Gendaika.
Technical points that an artist needs to focus on when creating a design are: the length of the stems, degrees of slant, intentional space to be used, number of sections in the container, and whether the arrangement will be right or left-sided.
[1] The balance of the plants and flowers, combined with the appropriate container and spirit of the materials, creates a beautiful composition, which incorporates the naturalness of each design.
Moribana uses one or more clusters of arrangements in kenzan to replicate how water plants grow and how creatures move around in natural ponds.
Moribana is not only an expression of Unshin Ohara’s creative departure from Ikenobo, but was also a strong sign of the Western influence in Japan.
The legend states that a samurai, bored on a hot summer day, threw plant material into the small opening of a tall, deep vase on the opposite corner of the room.
[9] This Ikebana form utilizes fresh and spontaneous designs that adhere only loosely to the classical principles of triangular structure and color harmony.
Banmi Shofu Ryu Chabana uses a single flower, maybe a branch, but always employs the use of driftwood to support or to emphasize line or to create a dramatic impact.
Although simple and elegant, chabana has deep roots in the traditions of the more formal Ikebana forms, and has its place in both the minimalistic Shintoism and the austentatious Buddhism expressions.
When creating a chabana, the artist selects the container and the driftwood based on the seasonal flower and line material (if appropriate), thinking ahead that no kenzan or kubari are used.
Seika style evolved as a simplified and smaller version of the Ikenobo Rikka, albeit more formal than the Nageire.
Examples are in images below: Boat designs are used for departure or arrival wishes, adapted by Banmi Shofu Ryu from classic Ikenobo principles, and uses a boat-shaped container that may sit on a table or hang from a hook.
An oar that sweeps to the right of the viewer means a departing boat (De-Fune), and therefore a farewell or bon voyage wish.
Morimono designs are relics of Buddhist traditions of laying flower and fruit offerings, especially during the harvest season.
It takes sensitivity to forms, colors, and textures and the way that they combine into a beautiful design that touches the viewer both aesthetically and emotionally.
Gendaika requires repetitive practice in following rules of engagement using similar materials, containers, tools, and developing a blueprint in one's daily patterns, habits, and routines so that measuring proportions, trimming branches and leaves, insertion of stems into the kenzan can occur without much thinking.
In Ikebana, the deshi first needs to have explored materials, designs, and tools repeatedly in different variations and multiple times and settings.
Conceptually, the style is the symbolic bridge (hashi) of flowers (bana) between 6th century traditions and Ikebana of the millennium.
1. Dr. Ric Bansho Carrasco creating a Hashibana maru design during the 2009 Banmi Shofu memorial retreat at Shoshin Pottery Studio.
2. Vintage photograph of Bessie Banmi Fooks, the founding iemoto or headmaster of Banmi Shofu Ryu.
3. Ikebana schools, like Japanese families have a crest or a mon. Above is the Banmi Shofu Mon with the crescent moon and moonflower adapted by Jesus Bantake Minguez from instructions by Ric Bansho Carrasco and historical details from Bessie Banmi Fooks and Bansui Ohta.
4. Signatures or marks of ownership in Japanese culture come in stamps and are called hanko. Above is the Banmi Shofu hanko which is the seal and signature for official documents like teaching and attendance certificates.
5. In 2004, Bessie Banmi Fooks commissioned Kevin Banes of Waialua, HI to create a graphic that depicts the images of Banmi Shofu Ryu, which included as shown in the above image, a rising moon, the word happiness in kanji, and the hallmark driftwood.
6.Double Moribana Hallmark Design, created by Bessie Banmi Fooks, 2001 for the Honolulu Hale, one of Hawaii's historical building which was originally called the Honolulu Municipal Building. Flowers used are: Alpinia (Tropical Torch Ginger), upright Heliconia, Costus Barbatus (Spiral Ginger), & Fennel; Line materials used are: Seaweed. & Bamboo Whip. Containers used are vintage (
suiban
or shallow containers) from Japan.
7.Moribana Kansuike, created by Ric Bansho Carrasco in 2014 during a demonstration held in Art Laksy in Tokyo, Japan. Container used is a classic celadon (
suiban
or shallow containers). Flowers comprised: Curcuma Petiolata (Hidden Lily, or Thai Tulip) and Limonium Altaica Montana (Limonium). The line materials were African Iris Blades & Variegated Hosta, and the driftwood from Okinawa. The stand is a polished Cypress cutting board. Other material used for the design are two samurai origami artifice as a tribute to the samurai founder of Shofu Ryu, the parent school of Banmi Shofu Ryu
8. Nageire creation by Ric Bansho in 2014 during a demonstration in Art Laksy in Tokyo Japan. Line and floral materials include are common hedges in Japan with Celosia or Cock's Comb. Matching double driftwood are from Okinawa. Container is from the collection of Kimie Yangisawa, Sogetsu Riji and Banmi Shofu deshi.
9.
Chabana
design by Ric Bansho Carrasco in a Shoshin Pottery chabana pot created in Guang Ming Temple during a demonstration in 2012. The double mahogany bentwood stands is the traditional indication that an ikebana headmaster of iemoto created the design standing on them. Solitary flower is a Phalaenopsis with a magnolia leaf and a Waialua driftwood.
10. An Oseika design created in 2009 by Jesus Bantake Minguez during the Annual Memorial Banmi Shofu retreat at Shoshin Studios. The Oseika creation features five aspidistra leaves and a singular pink Calla Lily and Waialua driftwood in Shoshin Studios Nageire container
11. Synchronized Oseika called Kaze Odori (Dancing with the Wind), with Banbara Fooks, Ric Bansho Carrasco, and Jesus Bantake Minguez (holds the distinction of the first Banmi Shofu sensei certified by Dr. Ric Bansho Carrasco as 2nd Generation Iemoto. Kaze Odori is a formal performance, usually serving as the last number of a demonstration, where the sensei create an Oseika design synchronously, using the same exact line and floral materials, to the tune of a temple meditation bell and koto music, preferably.
12. Iri Fune design on a lacquered elephant bamboo footed boat, with Lillium Asiaticum (Asiatic Lily, Siberian variety) and Philodendron Xanadu. Silken net fabric represents the boat sales, and Waialua driftwood serves as the oar. Created live during a demonstration during an Otsukimi festival, Guang Ming Temple, Orlando FL in 2010 by Ric Bansho Carrasco
13. Morimono of persimmons, pomegranate, lime and red plums accentuated by freestanding lemon grass stalks, rosemary, and Yellow Brassavola Nadosa orchid on in nesting Hawaiian food baskets with folding net covers set on vintage Nagoya obi. Created by Ric Bansho Carrasco for Leu Gardens, Orlando, FL 2010 for Ikebana International Orlando-Winter Park Chapter 132.
14. The above gendaika of freestyle Banmi Shofu design, created by Bessie Banmi Fooks in honor of the Year of the Horse in 2002 uses two large pieces of driftwood joined together as a free standing frame (the horse), for Queen Protea, Bromeliad blooms, Sanseverria, and Goodeniaceae, sp. Scaevola
15. Gendaika creation in 2008 by Dolly Tu from Taipei, Republic of China using a combination of driftwood with contrasting colors and shapes holding two King Protea and strands of Chinaberry.
16. Hashibana Maru in Shoshin pottery classic container made for Banmi Shofu with fiery orange Astromelia, Bear Grass and St. John's River driftwood on an adapted glass candle holder and wrought iron stand. By Ric Bansho Carrasco, 2010 created live for the Tampa Garden Club demonstration
17. Another Hashibana design, this time created in 2014 by Banbara Fooks in a classic maru container with white Bird of Paradise, Seagrape leaves, and Hawaiian driftwood.
18. Double Hashibana Uate created live by Ric Bansho Carrasco in 2008 during the annual exhibition and demonstrations of Ikebana International St. Petersburg Chapter #65. Floral materials were orange and black Chrysanthemums with trimmed long needled pine as line materials. Driftwood from Alaska, and vintage gold silk brocade from Tokyo, Japan. Tall and narrow porcelain uate containers are from Z Gallery.
19. Hashibana Saba design is a combination of Dutch Iris and Gladioli with Papyrus and Magnolia leaves. Driftwood from Waialua, HI and classic container from the Daikakuji Temple in Kyoto, Japan. Created by Ric Bansho Carrasco during Epcot Flower and Garden Festival in 2014
