On April 17 and 18, the Clark Center for Japanese Art & Culture will organize KAZARI, the first national competition on the art of displaying bonsai in a tokonoma alcove. 15 competitors will be coming from all over the state to create a unique display. Naturally, the bonsai tree is a vital part of the display but, different from other bonsai competitions, it is not the best tree that will win this event. The challenge is to consciously create a harmonious display that uses the entire allotted space. KAZARI is a judged competition and the prize money in honor of the late Tom Yukiyasu Uyeoka for the best displays is $2,500 for first place, $1,000 for second place, and $500 for third place. Judging criteria are for example the cohesiveness of the display, the viewing enjoyment, the communication between the accessories.
Kazari is a general term for display or decoration. The Clark Center’s KAZARI focuses on toko-kazari, a display in a tokonoma, the traditional alcove in a Japanese house where art is displayed according to the season. The museum gallery will be divided in 15 equal spaces, each space approximately the size of an average tokonoma.
The 15 competitors will be either individuals or groups, for example a club working as a team. Each competitor has freedom in the arrangement of the display. There are no fixed rules for the use of hanging scrolls and subsidiary ornaments like suiseki (unhewn stone formed by nature) or shitakusa (complementary, potted plant). Care must be taken not to overload and clutter the display. The traditional Japanese triangle of the bonsai representing Man, the scroll being Heaven, and the subsidiary ornament standing for Earth, is just one way of creating an appealing toko-kazari.
Saturday, April 17, 2010 |
|
11 am – 5 pm |
KAZARI |
5 – 6:30 pm |
Evening Wine and Cheese Awards Reception |
|
|
Sunday, April 18, 2010 |
|
10 am – 12 pm |
Hands-on Interactive Workshop on the Art of Tokonoma Display by |
12 – 3 pm |
KAZARI |
For further information please contact us at bonsai@ccjac.org.