Le Moyne professor reveals ‘ikebana’ images on the library – Eagle News On-line

CAZENOVIA — This month, the gallery on the Cazenovia Public Library & Museum (CPL) will spotlight Syracuse-based mixed-media artist Jia Man, whose work combines the Japanese artwork of flower arranging — ikebana — with modern images.

“Jia Man’s work is unusual for us,” stated Geoffrey Navias, curator of the CPL Gallery. “It expands our senses. In the midst of winter, it’s a delight to showcase flowers, arranged simply and eloquently. By contrasting flowers with winter, we hope to sharpen one’s appreciation and awareness of both, capturing the fleeting beauty of nature.”

Born in China and now a U.S. citizen, Man lived in Tokyo for almost 20 years. She is now an adjunct professor of Chinese, Japanese, and East Asian tradition at Le Moyne College. Her paintings has been exhibited in Paris, London, Brussels, Milan, Amsterdam, and New York, together with shows at galleries in Chelsea, NY, and the Southampton Long Island Art Fair.

According to her web site, the artist is a member of Ikebana International New York and the International Society of Ikebana Research in Japan.

“I was first drawn to ikebana because of its meditative discipline, refined sense of balance, and profound respect for natural form — qualities that resonated with my sensibilities shaped by time in Japan,” Man stated. “What continues to attract me is how ikebana’s principles allow me to explore ephemerality, space, and presence, informing a visual language that bridges botanical life with photographic abstraction.”
She added that images permits her to translate the bodily presence of the preparations into a private visible narrative, capturing momentary subtleties of sunshine, texture, and composition.
“In photographing ikebana, I extend the practice beyond the ephemeral event into an enduring artistic expression,” she stated.

According to Man, every of the 18 items featured within the CPL Gallery exhibit displays a novel dialogue between floral type, mild, and photographic course of.

“The works in this show were created over the past few years, during a period of sustained creative focus on how ikebana’s principles intersect with photographic form and composition,” she stated.

The present will run by means of Jan. 29. An artist reception is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 15, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

To study extra about Man, go to jiamanikebana.weebly.com or observe @manjia9270 on Instagram.