Our fourth 2012 Studio Edition feature is Dale Chihuly’s Scarlet Leaf Ikebana. It isn’t often that we have the opportunity to offer an Ikebana Studio Edition. Dale Chihuly’s first, and only other, Ikebana edition was the 2002 Philodendron Ikebana which has long since been retired.
Chihuly takes his inspiration from the Japanese art of floral arrangements giving his glass Ikebanas simple yet elegant shapes. Delicate stems are balanced by sturdy symmetrical vessels mirroring the minimalism of the traditional floral compositions.
Scarlet Leaf Ikebana, 2012
Handblown studio Edition glass, approximately 11 inches tall
$7,100 US*
Ikebana is a disciplined Japanese floral art with an emphasis on balance, harmony, and form. These beautiful, minimalistic flower arrangements made an impression on Dale Chihuly during a number of his visits to Japan in the 1980s. Feeling as if he had pushed the scale of his earlier Venetian series as far as possible, Chihuly began experimenting with deeper and broader vessels, stripping them bare of embellishments and adding stems with flowers and leaves. The result was Chihuly’s Ikebana series, echoing the essential aesthetics of the traditional ikebana while marked by the artist’s revolutionary use of colour, distinctive lines, and the strength of pure form.
The 2012 Studio Edition Scarlet Leaf Ikebana is a two-piece composition that illustrates the simple elegance of this Chihuly series. Patches of silver and gold and opaline spots adorn the amber vessel, establishing an elemental ground for a graceful, coiling stemmed leaf. The scarlet lead, ribbed and touched with discreet streaks of gold, emerges from the case with a seducing curved equilibrium and rests ion a perfectly balanced point. The combination is one of serene rapport.
The Scarlet Lead Ikebana, signed by the artist and measuring approximately eleven inches high, is accompanied by a custom-designed Plexiglas display case and a copy of Chihuly Gardens & Glass. This 192-page, full-colour publication includes beautifully photographed images of Chihuly’s exhibit at Garfield Park Conservatory and other outdoor installations.
The 2012 Scarlet Leaf Ikebana Studio Edition exemplifies a timeless grace and sophistication.
* Price valid through March 31, 2013
Photo by David Emery
For additional information on the 2012 editions or Studio Editions from previous years, please email info@dianefarrisgallery.com or call Diane Farris Gallery at 1-604-737-2629.
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