Memories of Rose and Journey of the Blue Space Decoration

“Memories of Rose” was created for a flower art competition held in Tokyo in 2016, where the theme was Impressionism.While researching Impressionist art, I became deeply fascinated by the portrait of Marthe de Florian. What amazed me was that it evoked almost the same impression as one of my own floral works that I had previously created for another competition. I was astonished that a European painting created centuries ago and a contemporary floral artwork could resonate so naturally across time and culture.As I continued my research, I discovered the tragic yet passionate love story behind the artist and his model. I was deeply moved and wanted to reinterpret their story through floral art, allowing it to live again in the present. That desire became the foundation of “Memories of Rose.”In 2017, I had another opportunity to participate in the same competition, this time under the theme of Paris. I created a companion piece, “Journey of the Blue,” portraying Florian’s strength and hope as she endured the hardships of war, in contrast to the elegance and prosperity represented in “Memories of Rose.” This work received the Audience Award.Because the two works were exhibited in different years, they were never presented together as a single narrative. They remained in my gallery studio for several years until, in 2020, I received an invitation to participate in the A’ Design Award. It finally gave me the opportunity to present them as a pair, allowing Florian’s story to be experienced as one complete journey.

The contrasting color palettes of “Memories of Rose” and “Journey of the Blue” were carefully chosen to represent two very different chapters in Florian’s life.In “Memories of Rose,” I portrayed the joyful and elegant years she spent in Paris before the war. Rose pink symbolizes love, beauty, and the glamour of that era. It is also the color of the dress Florian wears in her portrait. I adopted this color as a visual symbol of her presence and the beautiful memories she left behind.In contrast, “Journey of the Blue” reflects the period in which her destiny was transformed by war. Blue symbolizes sorrow, loneliness, and uncertainty. However, my intention was not to portray sadness alone. I also wanted to express Florian’s determination to continue living with strength despite those hardships. I conveyed this through the graceful yet powerful lines of the calla lilies, whose resilient forms became a metaphor for her unwavering spirit.Although the two works are built upon contrasting color palettes, I do not see them as opposites. Together, they represent different moments in the life of one woman.Every life contains both happiness and suffering, light and shadow. Through these two works, I hoped to express not only Florian’s journey, but also the universal emotional experiences shared by us all.

Ikebana reveals beauty by removing everything unnecessary and allowing ma—the uniquely Japanese aesthetic of meaningful space—to emerge. Western flower arrangement, on the other hand, creates rich expression and storytelling by layering flowers, colors, and decorative elements.My concept of SOUSAKU IKEBANA (Creative Living Flower) does not choose one over the other.Instead, I describe it as “the aesthetics of multiplication.”By multiplying the Eastern aesthetics of subtraction with the Western aesthetics of addition, I believe new forms of ma and narrative can emerge.In both “Memories of Rose” and “Journey of the Blue,” every flower, color, line, empty space, and spatial relationship exists to tell the story. My hope is that viewers will not simply observe the work, but experience the narrative unfolding within the space.