For centuries, the Japanese art of ikebana has been a quiet celebration of nature, simplicity, and harmony. Yet, for Kosen Ohtsubo, one of the leading conceptual artists in this tradition, the very idea of “beautiful ikebana” is ripe for disruption. With a career that spans decades, Ohtsubo has been reimagining the art of flower arranging since the 1970s—transforming it into something far beyond its traditional bounds. His work challenges conventional aesthetics and embraces the unexpected, weaving together botanicals, found objects, and even industrial materials to explore the dynamic and ephemeral nature of beauty.
“I want to explode the idea of beautiful ikebana,” Ohtsubo has said. His approach is driven by the freedom of improvisation and the thrill of experimentation. In this pursuit, he often draws on the spontaneity of jazz, a genre he listens to while working. Just as jazz musicians riff and improvise, Ohtsubo’s arrangements are born from a continuous dialogue between material and form, where there’s no set score—only the possibility for surprise and discovery. Through this lens, ikebana becomes an art form that celebrates not just stillness and balance, but also transformation, decay, and the unpredictability of life itself.
Ohtsubo’s practice is anything but traditional. While most ikebana focuses on harmonizing flowers, branches, and leaves, his works integrate unconventional elements like cabbage leaves, scrap metal, and even bathtubs. By incorporating these unexpected materials, he invites viewers to reconsider the boundaries of beauty, nature, and art. His arrangements often reflect themes of impermanence—an essential concept in Japanese culture. Just as flowers bloom and wither, Ohtsubo’s work celebrates the delicate dance between life and death, order and chaos.
Currently, an exhibition at Kunstverein München in Munich pairs Ohtsubo with one of his students, Christian Kōun Alborz Oldham. Oldham, who discovered Ohtsubo’s work in 2013 through a book, became inspired by the artist’s radical approach to ikebana and began studying under him. The exhibition, titled Flower Planet, is a reflection of their shared exploration into the fragility of life and the ever-changing nature of beauty.
The exhibition’s title refers to a sign outside Ohtsubo’s home and studio in Tokorozawa, Japan, where he has lived and worked for years. Flower Planet showcases a series of sculptural installations that not only invite viewers to contemplate the fleeting nature of flowers but also challenge the traditional notion of control in nature. Through large-scale pieces like “Linga München,” Ohtsubo weaves together willow branches, scrap metal, and a small candle, creating an orb-like structure that serves as both a visual and metaphorical vessel for fragility. The juxtaposition of organic materials with industrial elements speaks to the clash between nature’s delicate beauty and humanity’s desire to tame it.
Another highlight of the exhibition, “Willow Rain,” presents thin, suspended willow branches hanging from the ceiling, creating an immersive environment that subverts the typical way we encounter growth. The piece is a striking commentary on our relationship with the natural world, pushing viewers to question the limits of human control and manipulation over nature’s inherently wild, uncontrollable forces.
The exhibition is further enriched by Ohtsubo’s inclusion of photography, which captures the ephemeral beauty of his ikebana works long after they’ve wilted. Given the short-lived nature of the materials used in ikebana, documenting the arrangements through photographs becomes a way to preserve the work and reflect on its transience. This pairing of past works with new commissions allows the viewer to experience the evolution of Ohtsubo’s artistic journey, from his early pieces to the more recent, intricate sculptures that continue to push the boundaries of what ikebana can represent.
At its core, Flower Planet is about questioning what we consider beautiful, and more importantly, what we are willing to do to preserve it. Ohtsubo and Oldham’s work invites us to engage with nature’s inherent impermanence and to rethink our attempts to control or stabilize it. Through this lens, ikebana ceases to be a static display of flora and becomes a conversation about life, death, and the fluidity of existence.
The Flower Planet exhibition is on view through April 21, 2025, providing ample time for visitors to immerse themselves in Ohtsubo’s imaginative, thought-provoking reimagining of an ancient tradition. For those interested in exploring Ohtsubo’s vast body of work, his extensive archive can be found on Instagram, where his ongoing exploration of form, nature, and beauty continues to evolve.
Ohtsubo’s work is a reminder that even in the most traditional of art forms, there’s always room for reinvention. By challenging the norms of ikebana, he teaches us that beauty isn’t just about perfection—it’s about embracing the unexpected, finding meaning in impermanence, and seeing the world in ways we might never have considered before.
