Art is in nature, nature is in art. And when the two flow together in celebration, the ordinary can indeed transform into poetry. This celebration of life was the focus of the Chennai Sogetsu branch's workshop on January 17th, 2026. 13 branch members came together with much enthusiasm to celebrate the theme of the day.  | Sensei Molly Cherian: Yellow Asia lilies, oncidium ochrid sprays, red canna, white dianthus buds and flowers, gypsophila, wine glasses, and a piece of net in a blue and gold chocolate box as container
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Sensei Molly Cherian's arrangement seen above was a beautiful celebration of the birth of her great grandson. In her words: As my great grandson 's birthday falls during the month of the Christmas season, I combined the arrangement matching both occasions. Yellow Asia lilies and oncidium orchid sprays were placed in two long-stemmed wine goblets in a blue and gold empty chocolate box, representing the baby boy. For Christmas, red cana flowers, white dianthes buds and flowers, and gypsophila flowers were added along with green leaves. A piece of net was added for vibrancy. Prerana Mehta's arrangement was beautiful in its minimalistic expression. The metal rings of the artistic piece denoted the circle of life, while the blue hues of the bottle represented the birth of a baby boy. The single golden flower represented a child’s golden journey. Riji Sensei Malathi Pandurang chose to interpret the arrangement as a celebration of aloneness.
Prerana Mehta: Blue bottle and golden flower stem in a gold metal piece
Sensei Meenakshi Sarin's arrangement was a celebration of life. A round lantern was used to represent the infinite universe, while the use of monstera leaves and a golden painted heliconia denoted celebration and higher evolution. The yellow chrysanthemums hinted at sunshine - something everyone looks forward to.  | Sensei Meenakshi Sarin: Painted heliconia stem, monstera leaf, yellow spray chrysanthemums,
silver sprayed pine in a green, ceramic container
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Chelvi Gopinath's arrangement focused on the Pongal harvest celebrated in Chennai recently. The sunflower was used to signify uttarayan - the beginning of the sun's northward journey from the south. The rhizomes - ginger and turmeric - which had recently been harvested, were placed under water to denote their natural place underground. The dry banana leaf connected with the age-old tradition of eating on plantain leaves.
 | Chelvi Gopinath: Sunflower, turmeric and ginger roots, turmeric plant, and dried banana leaf
in a glass container filled with water |
Sensei Ambika Chandrasekar's arrangement celebrated Pongal festivities. She chose a beautiful ceramic container made by artist Sathya Ganapathi, its streaks of white symbolizing streaks of overflowing milk. The upturned sugarcane and turmeric highlighted the roots that exist below ground. The yellow chrysanthemum was chosen to symbolize the sun, the giver of life, and the red anthurium was strategically placed to mark the auspicious kumkum symbol.
Sensei Ambika Chandrasekar: Sugarcane stalks, turmeric roots, chyrsanthemum, anthurium, kallanchoe and limonium flowers in a ceramic container
 | Bhuvana Shivshankaran: Mango leaves and branches, with sunflowers
in a brass kudam (container)
Zeenath Kadir's arrangement hailed the Navarathri festival in its celebratory interpretations of education, new beginnings, and purity.
Zeenath Kadir: Roses, China asters, gerberas, chrysanthemums, jasmine branch, peace lily leaf, and gypsophila flowers in a white container
Shylaja Theetharappan also celebrated Pongal through her use of turmeric and mango leaves. The roots of the turmeric plant signified the earth, while its leaves hinted at the verdant beginnings of spring. The maroon chrysanthemums signified auspicious events. The vase selected stood tall in white purity, even as the green leaves and red flowers emerged in celebration of life.
Shylaja Theetharappan: Turmeric leaves and roots, mango leaves, and crimson chrysanthemum flowers in a white container Gnanambikai Karthikeyan used the color red in her arrangement with shampoo ginger, focusing on its connotations of hope, positivity, fortune, prosperity, and energy. She added a sunflower for brightness, much like the sun crowns our days with shining brilliance.
Gnanambikai Karthikeyan: Shampoo ginger and sunflower in a red, ceramic container
Krishna Ramachandran used the concept of flowers as a celebration of sacrifice and offering to the divine. His ensemble of brass uralis and lamps gave a lovely South Indian touch to the arrangement.
Krishna Ramachandran: Hibiscus flowers, brass diyas and lamps in brass plates and an urali
Susan Sudhir focused on Pongal and used sugarcane to signify the sweetness of life and resilience, yellow chrysanthemums to celebrate the vibrant beauty of life, and white chrysanthemums to remind one of earth's bountiful fullness. She used the earthenware pots (a Pongal festival specialty) to symbolize the ritual of boiling milk and cooking the traditional pongal rice dishes. She also arranged sugarcane stalks to resemble a wooden stove.
Susan Sudhir: Yellow and white chrysanthemums and sugarcane stalks
in earthenware pots Mohan Vummidi chose a variety of chrysanthemum flowers, a bright red and yellow heliconia stem, and a slanting upright dracaena stalk to celebrate color and vibrancy in life.
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Mohan Vummidi: Dracaena reflexa, heliconia, and chrysanthemums in a tall ceramic container
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The December 13th workshop of the Chennai Sogetsu branch was a grand finale to the year 2025, and was attended by 13 members. The theme was an extension of the November workshop on Principles 39 and 44, only this time there were no demos by senseis. The floor was left open to the members to practise their interpretation of the two principles. To reiterate the principles: Principle No. 39: "Ikebana must appear as if it is a product of the environment in which it is displayed." Principle No. 44: "Be sure to make definite points of emphases and avoid redundancy in the arrangement." The workshop and the resulting arrangements were a testament to the members' talents.
 | Arrangement by Sensei Trishala Vaishnav
Theme: Principle No. 44 Materials: Dracaena branch and gerbera in a ceramic Pondicherry vase |
 | Arrangement by Sensei Chitra Thiagarajan
Theme: Principle No. 44
Materials used: Umbrella plant, caladium, and purple hearts in a ceramic nageire container |
 | Arrangement by Sensei Ambika Chandrasekar
Theme: Principle No. 39 Materials: Matthiola stalks, pink asters, and anthurium leaves in a basket
Arrangement by Sensei Ambika Chandrasekar
Theme: Principle No. 44 Materials: Costus branch, aglaonema leaves, and asters in a nagiere container
Arrangement by Luna Bose
Theme: Principle No. 39 Materials: Bamboo and button chrysanthemums, stones, and a Buddha statue in ceramic containers
Arrangement by Bhuvana Shivshankaran
Theme: Principle No. 39 Materials: Shampoo ginger stalks, chrysanthemums, and ixora branches in a ceramic container against a backdrop of boxed games
Arrangement by Sensei Prerana Mehta Theme: Principle No. 39 Materials used: Gold bauble, mauve and white chrysanthemums, some artificial berries, and pine cones. The container is a big thermocol piece to depict snow.
Arrangement by Susan Sudhir Theme: Principle No. 39 Materials used: Chrysanthemums, sunflowers, and pine leaves in baking trays filled with water to depict a pond scene
Arrangement by Gnanambikai Theme: Unusually shaped container Materials used: Shampoo ginger stalks and chrysanthemum in two ceramic containers
The workshop ended in much merriment with snacks, drinks, and plenty of joyous chit chat. The air was filled with the anticipation of holidays and end-of-year celebrations. This seemed a fitting end to 2025. We meet again in 2026!
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The Sogetsu Branch, Chennai held its monthly workshop session on November 22nd, 2025 at ABK Hall. The meeting began at 11am to a room filled with anticipation. The theme held promise for creativity - apply Principles 39 and 44 of the 50 Principles of Sogetsu by founder . Principle No. 44: "Be sure to make definite points of emphases and avoid redundancy in the arrangement." Principle No. 39: "Ikebana must appear as if it is a product of the environment in which it is displayed." Sensei's DemonstrationsSensei Prerana demonstrated Principle No. 44 and Sensei Trishala No. 39. Sensei Prerana's first arrangement used a play of artificial plastic wrappers, squeezed and stapled together. From this she created two beautiful lines that she placed in a three-opening vase. The central opening held a lone white anthurium that harmonized with the lines of plastic.
 | | Sensei Prerana's arrangement: Plastic wrappers twisted and stapled together, and a white chrysanthemum in a ceramic container. Theme: Principle 44. |
Sensei Prerana's second arrangement was done with banana leaves and a single red gerbera in a white ceramic container. The adherence to the principle was displayed in the perfect harmonizing of elements - no element was extra or missing. Herein lay the beauty of the arrangement.
 | Sensei Prerana's arrangement using banana leaves and a red gerbera in a white ceramic container. Theme: Principle 44.
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Sensei Trishala demonstrated Principle No. 39. Her first arrangement was a rendering of a katcheri scene from the South. She used a blend of natural materials and a man-made music system to create the scene. A sunflower was used to connote the voice of a singer, its companions in yellow echoing the accompanist’s gentle support. Umbrella plant branches were strategically placed to take the form of the mridangam, steady and grounding, while mitsumata traced the unseen waves of melody as they rose and drifted through the air.
 | | Sensei Trishala's arrangement: Yellow chrysanthemums, umbrella plant branches, and mitsumata branches in a katcheri setting with music system and speakers. Theme: Principle 39. |
Art and pollution was the subject of Sensei Trishala's second arrangement. She used a bundle of trash collected from home. Out of this, she imagined a familiar Chennai scene abounding in garbage after a short rain spell. She created poetry out of the chaos by adding a line of empty cans to give structure and beauty to the arrangement. She interspersed the trash with a few plants, almost as if to say that vegetation could survive amidst the chaos, because rain gives life.
From the depths of trash, abounds a serenity unreal Hope holds fast even in despair Luscious green emerges as if to say "I endure" Life clings on strong and steadfast Trash is trash, and yet beauty abounds. Sensei Trishala's arrangement using trash, glass vases, and small plants in a fiberglass container. Theme: Principle 39.
Members' ArrangementsAfter the senseis' demonstrations, the members applied their interpretation of the principles to their arrangements.
 | | Sensei Molly's arrangements. Arrangement 1 uses a single anthurium flower and a moth-eaten anthurium leaf with a spray of teak inflorescence in a Lebanese ceramic container. Theme: Principle 44. Arrangement 2 uses bird's nest ferns, canna pods, and miniature water lily leaves in a black shallow container. Theme: Principle 39 utilizing the water body as the environment. |
 | Sensei Ambika's arrangements. Arrangement 1 portrays the "Grasslands of Bhigwan". The different colours of grasses are represented by the dracaena leaves and the wildflowers by button chrysanthemums. Theme: Principle 39. Arrangement 2 uses a black and brown vase as the focal point. A tube rose is placed high to accentuate the neck of the vase, and delicate henna leaves mirror the movement of the lines on the vase. The colours of the vase are complemented in the material. Theme: Principle 44.
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 | | Sensei Chitra Thiagarajan's arrangement (left): Ferns, palm frond, money plant leaf, heliconias, and a bunch of tiny maroon leaves in a decorated wooden box. Theme: Principle 39. Zeenath's arrangement (right): Devil's ivy and eustoma flowers in a delicate glass container to represent pristine nature and greenery. The water, plants, and roots symbolize trees and flowers in harmony with space and nature. Theme: Principle 39. |
 | Chelvi's arrangement: A single white chrysanthemum flower with fishtail palm berries and sanseviera leaves in a wooden container to show line and balance with no redundancy. Theme: Principle 44.
Luna's arrangement: Aesthetically placed palm fronds with heliconia in a ceramic container. Lines depict harmony and sense of space. Theme: Principle 44.
 | Susan's arrangement (left): Ixora and African Princess branches with a chrysanthemum in a delicately shaped glass container. The lines of the materials are arranged to harmonize with the lines of the container. Theme: Principle 44. Sensei Meenu's arrangement (right): Electrical waste in a palmyra basket, placed on a noodles tray. Yellow shampoo ginger, and fishtail palm berries complete the arrangement to reflect electrical waste. Theme: Principle 39.
| Susan's arrangement (left): Yellow chrysanthemums, sanseviera leaves, lily plant leaves, and a solitary branch in a wooden bowl placed in an African basket to reflect a garden environment. Theme: Principle 39. Mohan's arrangement (right): A solitary sunflower and a bunch of limoniums in a white fiber glass container to display well blended line and mass. Theme: Principle 44. |
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To celebrate Children’s Day on November 14th this
year, the Chennai Sogetsu Branch conducted an Ikebana Workshop for the children
at Chennai Higher Secondary School, Alwarpet. This initiative was supported by
Madras Metro Round Table 95 of Chennai.
Senseis Meenakshi Sarin and Prerana
Mehta, along with the supporting members, conducted the workshop most dexterously.
They had the rapt attention of nearly 75 students from Grades 6 to 9. There were demos by the senseis, followed by an engaging hands-on session with the students.
Beyond Ikebana, the children were given an insight into
Japanese culture and language, and were taught the names of the flowers and
materials used. This was truly a meeting of Ikebana and young minds, where the children were encouraged to appreciate the natural world. And what better way to do this than to work with flowers and plants, as demonstrated by the pictures below.
 | | The children enjoying the demos presented by the senseis |
 | The senseis and their support group: (from left to right),
Sensei Prerana Mehta, Sensei Meenu Sarin, Chelvi Gopinath,
and Bhuvana Shivshankaran |
 | The girls proudly pose with their arrangements
The boys proudly pose with their arrangements
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 | The senseis and their support group: (from left to right standing)
Sensei Prerana Mehta, Sensei Meenu Sarin.
From left to right sitting: Zeenath Kadir, Chelvi Gopinath,
Bhuvana Shivshankaran, and Shylaja Theetharappan
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 | Sensei Prerana Mehta with her arrangement
(banana leaves, chrysanthemums, and gypsophila)
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 | Sensei Meenakshi Sarin with her arrangement
(fishtail palm berries, sunflowers, and green button chrysanthemums)
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“The essence of Ikebana lies in the relationship between the
plant materials and the containers. By focusing on the container to be used,
new ideas of composition may come to mind.” - Akane Teshigahara on the importance of containers in Ikebana arrangements. This relationship between plant materials and containers, and the immense potential for new ideas, was
beautifully displayed in the Sogetsu workshop held on Saturday, October 25th
at 11 am at the ABK hall. 11 members attended.
Demos by the Senseis
Senseis Meenu and Chitra Thiagarajan
demonstrated their skills at bringing the best out of containers in their
arrangements.
Sensei Meenu started the workshop with a uniquely shaped
black vase and arranged the materials - dried palm leaves sprayed with gold, a sunflower, and a dry philodendron leaf – to complement the shape of the
vase. The rich hues of gold, brown, and yellow enhanced the beauty
of the arrangement.
For her second demo, Sensei Meenu chose a rectangular orange vase. The interesting shape of the vase was enhanced with the linear and bent
stalks of umbrella palms. Sprigs of white chrysanthemum added a contrast in colour.  | | Sensei Meenu and her arrangements | Left: Dried palm leaves sprayed with gold, a sunflower, and a dry philodendron leaf in a ceramic container. Right: Umbrella palms (bent) and a white chrysanthemum in a ceramic container |
Chitra Thiagarajan was the second demonstrator. Her first arrangement focused on the circular shape of a round vase, with her materials thoughtfully chosen to complement the shape. The umbrella palm leaves and round lotus pods worked well with the container, as did the serrated lotus pods against the ridges of the vase. The round shaped white gerbera completed the harmony.
The second arrangement utilized eco-friendly egg cartons (one painted indigo blue) along with monstera and umbrella plant leaves, and pink gerberas. The monstera leaves were artistically trimmed to blend with the shape of the egg cartons.
 | | Sensei Chitra and her arrangements | Top left: Fan palms, lotus pods, and a white gerbera in a ceramic blue container. Top right: Umbrella plant leaves, monstera leaves, and pink carnations on eco friendly egg cartons |
Participant demos:After the demos, the members were invited to showcase their arrangements.
 | Left: Divya Selvam | Driftwood arranged in a crescent shaped container with a gerbera for contrast Right: Luna Bose | Painted sticks and chrysanthemums in fiberglass containers |
 | | Sensei Molly Cherian | Three small containers in a single arrangement to depict the overall shape of the containers. Caladium leaves and aglonema buds in a flat pot; curved branch of Song of India and jatropha flowers in a milk pot; variegated dracaena branch and small anthurium flower in a ring-like container |
 | Left: Zeenath | Asparagus and dracaena leaves with a gerbera flower to emphasize the shape of the container, gypsophila flowers to add volume in a round basket container. Right: Sensei Prerana | Round red acrylic sheet, a sunflower, and a bunch of gypsophila in a circular-shaped container |
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