Photo by Manuel
It is getting pretty ugly in here. Or is it ugly-pretty? I refer, of course, to Freakebana (pronounced “free-ke-ba-na”), the ultra-trendy, a-mug-only-a-mother-could-love take on arranging whatever you like. Stella Bugbee, the brilliant editor in chief of The Cut, coined the term.
Freakebana is the Instagram-strong, and sometimes gallery-featured, art created by mixing colorful, unorthodox objects in a new way. The key is to juxtapose seemingly disparate elements from all walks---be they plant, mineral, veggie, Vogue—to present a wildly creative and spectacular endorsement of visual anarchy.
Freakebana cues its whimsical style and name from Ikebana (“ick-eh-ba-na”), the ancient Japanese art of arranging flowers. Its origins stretch back to the 6th century when Buddhists hit the shores of Japan. Manyoshu, Japan’s oldest poetry anthology, mentions flowers numerous times. Samurai performed Ikebana as a meditation before going into battle. They believed this connection with nature purified the heart and mind. Ikebana arrangements feature minimal, carefully chosen, seasonal foliage, positioned at three key levels to represent heaven (shin, the highest branch), humans (soe, the medium branch) and earth (hikae, the shortest branch). Ikebana translates to “giving life to flowers,” and offers a chance at mystical awakening.
The comparison between the two art forms strays from there. Freakebana seems akin to the punk soul of early Bowie; David Lynch springs to mind as its cinematic drunk uncle. Freakebana is a “flower arrangement” forever set in quote marks. It hits the senses like a bomb cyclone.
Eggebana hard or soft boiled?
This latest fashion-forward, innovative trend suits Bear Creek Farm perfectly. I’m having so much fun creating whimsical Freakebana designs, with flowers at the center. You wouldn’t expect anything else, would you?
I invite you to do the same. Put on your winking cap, get creative on your own terms and let your Freakebana flag fly.