The art and craft of bonsai
The art of bonsai is almost as old as human civilization itself. Bonsai, which originated from China where pottery was first invented and trees were kept in them for cultivation, comes from the Chinese words for pot and tree. What we know as bonsai today though comes from Japan as the practice moved across the ocean to this country, where it was elevated into an art form.
Architecture and bonsai share similar principles—from scale, balance, composition, hierarchy, to restrictions of your site or pot, to the limits imposed by clients and the tree itself. In bonsai, as with architecture, you work with what the tree gives you.
URBAN LANDSCAPES
My interest in bonsai grew out of a need to incorporate nature in the limited space of my balcony. The desire to create a scenery that is so hard to come by in a city, and the idea that I can develop such a dense composition in such a small space really captivated me.
Metro Manila is one of the densest cities in the world. With public space being limited, and as prices push us towards smaller homes, the value of being able to have a part of nature in your home will become increasingly important. The value of having natural landscapes and vistas recreate our lost horizons.
Our pandemic experience has shown us how frustrating it could be to be kept in small spaces. The idea that with one square meter of space you can have a tree or landscape that could recreate tens if not hundreds of square meters is an intensification that is of much interest to me. The density of information and detail one finds in a single tree as well as the expression and character that each tree exudes become part of a dialogue that one can have with nature.
IZUMI BONSAI
Izumi Bonsai is our garden in the heart of Metro Manila. It is a place for bonsai lovers in the country to come together and enjoy the art and craft of bonsai. The garden is founded to deliver an accessible premium experience in our pursuit of that perfect tree. Our primary goal is to use the art of bonsai to create awareness and gather support for the preservation of our forests and trees by promoting the cultivation of nursery specimens and developing a sustainable path for bonsai collectors.
The garden is dedicated to uplift the level of practice and presentation for bonsai practitioners and collectors. The garden strives to make available a wide selection of trees to cater to various tastes and lifestyles. In our garden, you will find both imported and local trees in a wide array of sizes that are suitable for our climate.
At Izumi Bonsai, we showcase our love and passion for bonsai. We believe in pursuing the glimmer of that tree from our nostalgic childhood, in crafting and nurturing the tree that we can pass on to the next generations.
Our Izumi Collection is a growing selection of artfully crafted trees that demonstrate our ideas and knowledge. Each piece in our collection is unique and is a determined product of our dialogue with the tree. We seek to develop statement pieces that can be a point of pride and conversation for every home and garden. They embody the intertwining of the natural and human in a single living specimen that is the hallmark of bonsai cultivation.
We are always working on our trees at the garden and welcome you to come and learn more about bonsai or join us for a workshop. We also provide styling and maintenance services to help discerning collectors and practitioners in the care of their trees. The goal is to make bonsai and trees a part of our urban lifestyles.
Izumi Bonsai is located at 224 Ortigas Avenue in Greenhills, San Juan. We welcome you to come and explore the world of bonsai with us. Our doors are open to everyone, and we look forward to seeing you as we continue to grow our collection of trees and services in the years to come.
Design exploration requires the input of everyone in our community. We invite everyone to come join our explorations on the human environment. Join us on Instagram @wtadesignstudio and @entrari.