The Iris

The sumi-e class on May 16th, 2024 ended with color and joy! We painted beautiful irises and explored their cultural significance in Japan. Four experienced members and one beginning participant joined us, making it a fun and creative session.

May and June is the season for Japanese irises. Japan's iris gardens showcase hundreds of varieties and thousands of blooms. The iris symbolizes courage and the spirit of the samurai. The word “iris” (菖蒲, shōbu) sounds like “martial spirit” (尚武, shōbu), symbolizing wishes for boys to grow up healthy, brave, and strong. The leaves of the iris resemble sharp swords, further emphasizing this symbolism.

A highlight of this course was adding color to traditional sumi-e, giving our works new vitality, everyone used blue, purple, yellow, green and black brushstrokes with new learned techniques to bring the irises to life on paper. Each student’s work displayed unique creativity and personal style. Experienced members showed refined skills, while the new member brought fresh ideas. The exchange of ideas created a collaborative and friendly atmosphere.

On that day´s class, we improved our techniques and deepened our understanding of the iris's significance in Japan's Boys' Day celebration. Through sumi-e, we expressed the beauty of nature and conveyed wishes of courage, strength, and well-being.