As a child of 6, my great-grandmother took me to an all women Buddhist temple. Every weekend, we would change a whole wall of flower arrangements, replacing them with fresh fragrant blossoms from neighborhood gardens.
From Hawaiian Kumu Hula (masters of Hula), I learned the deeper meaning of flowers to adorn: entering the forest humbly in chant, grateful for the ferns we picked and plaited into head lei, taking only what was needed and leaving the plant enough to replenish.
"Taking tea" - the simple act of whisking a cup of thick, green tea for guests encouraged mindfulness of every deliberate act, taking time to admire the colors and textures of the tea bowl, the hanging scroll with poem and seasonal flower arrangement. Okusan (Honorable Wife), my tea teacher would invite me after for a small meal, and everywhere in her kitchen were tiny jars of flowers - leftover from boutiques.
My oil painting teacher has taught me color mixing to exact "livelier" or more muted colors: red and green for a lively grey, rather than a dead grey from a tube. I incorporate this into dying my straws.
How do great-grandmother's temple, hula, tea ceremony, and
painting weave into my hat designs?
Come and see the magic of these blessings unfold
and transform who you think you are.
painting weave into my hat designs?
Come and see the magic of these blessings unfold
and transform who you think you are.
©Emi Azeka, 2012. All Rights Reserved
All hat designs and photos are copyrighted to protect the artists.
