The Origin and Development of “SA”

Eminent Japanese floral art master Masao Mizukami assiduously practices ‘sa’, turning it into a fine art. I watched him demonstrate several times and observed how expertly he wove Li’s concept into the structure of his modern designs.

Under his hands, ‘sa’ has evolved more deeply and widely. Besides using it for arranging flowers in vases, it can be applied to any container, inside or outside, and even on design structures.

The materials for ‘sa’ are not restricted to plant stems only. Branches, leaves and fruit may be used instead. Mr. Masao has put ‘sa’ into numerous delightful and creative modern applications.

His floral designs always reflect a simple and natural beauty besides sending out a strong message of environmental protection. The way he makes use of traditional methods has improved with time and innovates without spurning history. This, and his propensity for hard work, should make him a paragon to emulate.

Wang Lianying
Chairman, Association of Flower Arranging and Floral Art of China
Professor, Beijing University of Forestry
Summer 2008, Beijing