Temari Workshop
Temari is a craft as well as a form of meditation. Wrapping thread over a ball, creating grids, choosing color combinations and developing patterns while compelling, is also a very calming exercise. Temari patterns develop in ways that are surprising, unexpected and often the inverse of what was assumed.
Neelu has been conducting Temari workshops since a decade. She explains traditional Japanese techniques of this craft in simple English, and her workshops are organized to suit your pace. Neelu guides students through the entire design process - starting from preparing the base of Temari with layers of yarn, thread wrapping, conceiving the design pattern, applying some basic mathematics to form the grid and thereafter creating one’s very own Termai ball, with intricate embroidery of seasonal flowers, Japanese traditional patterns or other contemporary designs.
With the basic art material provided for, the students can choose to simply create a few Temari balls or even aspire to pursue full-fledged certification from the Japan Temari Association (‘JTA’).
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Ikebana Workshop
To compose an ikebana one have to listen to nature, to feel it in order to imitate it; if this branch is bent, it is because another branch was giving it shade. It bringing man and nature closer together by playing on the forms and volumes of the plant.
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According to Neelu, “Ikebana can be practiced by both amateurs and professionals, both of whom are able to achieve elegant results. However, like many other art forms, mastering the basics is fundamental to any practice, and only then can a person begin to experiment.
Guided by precision, a core value of Japanese culture, beginners are taught basic technical skills—like how to properly cut branches and flowers, how to measure angles in space for the correct placement of branches and stems, and how to preserve live materials—along with the etiquette of maintaining a clean work station.
Beginners are also taught how to sensitize their eyes to the materials, to be able to bring out their inner qualities, and understand how this changes with each arrangement. These pieces follow the three-stem system of shin, soe, and hikae—elements that have traditionally represented
heaven, man, and Earth.”
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