VietNamNet Bridge – A dialogue called Flowers & Paintings, between a Japanese master of flower arrangement art and an overseas Vietnamese painter will take place at the House of Art, 31A Van Mieu, Hanoi on December 26.

Each of the 12 paintings by Nguyen Cam will have a “partner” or a unique Ikebana flower work by flower arrangement artist Thanh Nguyen.

Thanh Nguyen learnt about the Japanese flower arrangement art – Ikebana – when she was a child and lived in Vietnam. But it was not until she moved to the US that she started studying this art.

In 1975, her family moved to the US. She graduated from San Jose University, majoring in Marketing and Sciences. She worked for 25 years in the hi-tech industry. Since retiring she has taught Ikebana art at Palo Alto, Menlo Park and coordinates a cultural programme for the elderly in Palo Alto.

Thanh Nguyen has researched Ikebana for over 20 years. She obtained an Ikebana teaching certificate in 1997 and reached the Sanyo level in 2004. She is a member of the Ikebana International’s Directorate in San Francisco. She is also a member of the Wafu and Ikebana Teachers’ Association.

Thanh Nguyen has performed Ikebana art at many flower festivals in the US and recently in Paris, France.

Ikebana has been practiced for more than 600 years. It originated from the Buddhist ritual of offering flowers to the spirits of the dead. More than simply putting flowers in a container, Ikebana is a disciplined art form in which nature and humanity are brought together.

(Source: TP)