Yoko Tahara
I started doing Ikebana in my early 20’s in Japan. After coming to the United States in 1991 I continued this practice and later went to graduate school to study other forms of art, such as printmaking, installations, and public art.
I received an Ikebana teaching license, the master’s degree from the Ohara school, in 1989. In my thirty-year-long Ikebana practice I endeavor to create arrangements with an unexpected meeting of flowers and natural scenery. I have been teaching Ikebana to adults and children since 2008 on the Peninsula, south of San Francisco. I have been serving as a board member in Ikebana Northern American Teachers Association (NAOTA) and Ikebana International San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. I participated in numerous flower exhibitions and demonstrations, at venues such as The Bouquets to Art(de Young Museum) the Peninsula Museum of Art, Stanford University, Ikebana International San Francisco’s chapter and Sacramento’s chapter, and North American Ohara Teacher’s Association’s virtual exhibition, Asian-Pacific Economic conference(APEC), San Francisco commemorative Ikebana exhibition, etc.
One influence of my Ikebana style has been the decorative 17th century paintings of the Rimpa School in Japan. My interest in art and flowers has inspired my Ikebana arrangements and motifs for my prints.
Studio location: 1700 Industrial Rd, San Carlos, CA 94070