To further understand the visual language of botany, I have researched into the Japanese art of flower arranging known as ‘Ikebana’. This tradition dates back to the 7th century when floral offerings were made at altars. Takaya Fujii, master of Ikebana and Nihonga (Japanese painting), highlights the importance of pictorial arrangement and negative/positive space within a composition, not dissimilar to the presentation of botanical mounting, Herbarium preserves and archives.  Capturing their impermanent beauty, Takaya emphasizes the power of the earth’s natural elements, by using salt as the principle element of purification and longevity for his work.

​

This is contextually relevant to my botanical work as I consider elements and components of this raw, pure and simplistic botanical material, its silhouette-like structure and aesthetic, symbolic value.