Inspiring Ikebana

The art of bringing flowers to life 

A renowned artist and a talented photographer 

Throughout her career, Ilse Beunen has been inspired by many different things and, like all artists, is constantly looking for inspiration to create something new and innovative. Having written a comprehensive introduction to the ancient Japanese art of flower arrangement, in this new book she reveals several sources of inspiration: nature, the four seasons, festivals, vases and containers, artificial materials, art and emotions. Ilse Beunen works with her husband, the photographer of the superb illustrations in this book. He specializes in Ikebana photography, making it possible to sublimate this subtle art! They work together to immortalize Ikebana in all its forms.

A delicate and fascinating art 

Over 40 stunning ikebana creations, in both traditional and modern styles, are lavishly illustrated with detailed step-by-step photographs of the creation process, making it easy to follow along and achieve excellent results.

Pure Japanese floral art

Ikebana is a Japanese floral art that creates a decorative natural structure with clean lines and a spiritual connotation. It is a tribute to nature. Its name means “the art of bringing flowers to life”. It comes from the Japanese verb “ikeru”, meaning to bring to life, and “hana”, meaning flowers. In ikebana, every element has its importance: the vase, the stems, the flowers, the foliage. It's all about quality over quantity. Ikebana is a way of staging elements of nature, like a painting through which the artist expresses an emotion and delivers a message.