Image of a yellow flower with green stem in black space
ALUMNI SUBMISSION |
May 2021

The concept of "Ma"

Leslie A. Weinstein 87 GD

The invisible energy that gives strength to our compositions.

In January 2021 Sarita Granja, president of the Ikebana International group in Quito invited Leslie Weinstein 87 GD to do an online demonstration. After they exchanged some ideas for the central theme, Leslie shared with Sarita her first encounter with Ikebana when she was contemplating an arrangement on a poster, advertising an exhibition at the botanical garden in Madrid.

Looking back today Leslie can say that the lightness, simplicity and elegance that brought her to that contemplative state was due to the empty space. It was clear that Ma, would be the theme for her presentation and demonstration.

"Ma is something that relates to all aspects of life. It is the fundamental time and space to grow. It is the momentary pause in speech necessary to convey meaningful words, the silence between the notes that make the music..." Donna Kanning

Image of a yellow flower with green stem in black space
The Japanese kanji symbol for Ma visually depicts a door through whose crack the sun is peeking through, thus representing an open door to light, growth, creativity and our freedom of expression through our Ikebana arrangements.
Image of two purple flowers with green stems standing over an infinity symbol
In this arrangement applied to the sculpture by Alberto Giacometti "HOMME QUI MARCHE I", 1960 Giacometti sculpted his bodies leaving them in their minimum expression manifesting like no one else the loneliness and isolation of the human being.
Image of a yellow flower in a black box with red, yellow, and blue lines
In this arrangement applied to Piet Mondrian's painting. RHOMBUS COMPOSITION WITH EIGHT LINES AND RED (PAINTING No. lll), 1938. In this work I liked the prominence of Ma and how the empty space is in total harmony with the few elements Mondrian uses.
In this arrangement applied to graphic design with the logo from Banca March designed by summabranding consulting firm "The corporate identity plays with the negative spaces, being the "M" without being, in a subtle and intelligent way". The container of the arrangement has some circular holes, the idea was to use ranunculus that are white and round as if they had come out of that negative space, as well as the pussy willow with its little white balls.
In this arrangement applied to graphic design with the logo from Banca March designed by summabranding consulting firm "The corporate identity plays with the negative spaces, being the "M" without being, in a subtle and intelligent way".
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As a graphic designer, the ikebana universe has enriched so much my creative and composition development.
Leslie Weinstein
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