“The Free Style of Flowers” Naohiro Kasuya, Iemoto Ichiyo School of Ikebana Recording of a Live Demonstration for Washington, D.C. Chapter #1 (September 2021) Video Courtesy of Valerie Eccleston, Executive Master, Ichiyo School of Ikebana In this demonstration Iemoto Kasuya uses his arrangements to show various connections illustrating the importance of us all staying together in some way. The background music is an original work called ‘Mizu no Rinne’, written for the late Iemoto Akihiro Kasuya by a high school friend. Translated into English it means ‘Cycles of Life’. He considered the music to be the connecting link between the audience, him and the floral material being used. The sound of water is used as a symbolic element to express the cycles of life. Back stage assistants for the demonstration are: Kazumi Saito (Okinawa Japan), David Williams (Buffalo NY), Jeanne Houlton (St Petersburg Florida), Marilyn Hoskins (Lincoln Nebraska). This video and its production were funded by Mrs. Valerie Eccleston, Executive Master, Ichiyo School of Ikebana. The I.I. NCAR Advocate Committee thank her for her generosity and spirit of Friendship through Flowers. |
Biography
Naohiro Kasuya was born in Tokyo in 1980, as the second son of Akihiro Kasuya, the third Headmaster of the Ichiyo School. On January 20, 2019, he was installed as fourth generation Headmaster of Ichiyo School of Ikebana.
As well as teaching ikebana, he has been displaying his works solo and at a wide range of exhibitions. He gives ikebana instructions and artistic support for movies and TV programs. Also, he is passionately involved in collaborative works with artists of different fields.
He conducts ‘Ikebana Live’ and workshops not only in Japan but also overseas such as in USA, New Zealand, Australia, India, South Africa and the Ukraine, including an ikebana demonstration at the New York Metropolitan Museum. He hopes these activities overseas would raise the public interest in ikebana outside of Japan, and that he could import the renewed value and interest back to Japan.
In August, 2018, he demonstrated at the Ikebana International Ninth European Regional Conference at Bruges, Belgium. He currently serves as Board member of the Japan Ikebana Art Association; Associate Board Member, Ikebana Association and Supreme Adviser, Ikebana International