Flower Arrangement

Lesson 13 : Ikebana Forms And Styles

Free Style

Rikka, Shoka, Nageire and Moribana styles have something in common. They emphasise the natural beauty of flowers and plants. However, Free Style, the most recently developed style of Ikebana, is very different.

Freestyle seeks creative beauty and it is left entirely up to the arranger what to express and how to express it. It is also entirely up to the arranger what he/she thinks beautiful and what materials to use.

The materials in Free Style are unrestricted. The arranger may choose not just floral materials but anything he/she desires.Materials, for example, may be dried, paper, and plastic or metals. I prefer natural materials but do occasionally also use dried.

Various techniques may be used, such as wiring or modifying leaves by cutting them to different shapes from the original, natural shape. The vase is also a very important element of the arrangement.

Free style can be divided into two types. The first is naturalistic which expresses but does not recreate, nature. The other is abstract, more design-like.

To compose a free style arrangement, there are basic principles of formation and some other important factors to consider. Analysis of the elements of the plant’s form, shape, colour, texture and quantity should be conducted to decide how it should be used.

These decisions will be influenced by such things as desired mass, line, point (focal point) or surface area. The composition or blend of these elements, the sense of proportion, contrasts, rhythm and harmony should be carefully considered.