Beauty of everyday activities
Everyday activities should be celebrated. No matter what they are for you – shopping, going to a hair dresser, drinking coffee with your friends or caressing your pet. I celebrate everyday activities, be it mine or somebody else’s, by taking snapshots of them and then making ikebana to complement the snapshots. In this way I have time to contemplate and relive important events in our daily lives.
On the way to Langano
Addis Abeba is a large, rather polluted city. People who have means to leave the city from time to time, often travel to a nearby lake Langano. This crater lake is situated three hours drive south of Addis. On the road to Langano one can see many people walking, going about and doing their own errands. One scene caught my attention: an old man in a wheel chair sitting under an acacia tree and observing people walking and cars passing by. This serene, harmonious moment inspired me to make an ikebana in a creative, clay pot made by women potters from Kechene, a city district of Addis Abeba. This lovely pot represents a local guinea fowl. In order to connect the photo of the man resting and my arrangement I used a red ti leaf and white calla lilies – the colors found on the man’s clothes. The symbolism of a guinea fowl – a bird that cannot fly, also matches with the man that cannot move.
At a hairdresser
In my neighbourhood, Old Airport, Addis Abeba, there are many small shops that sell food and other commodities. In addition, there are many shops that provide services, like car repair, fixing clothes and hairdressers. Fixing curly hair can sometimes take several hours. That is an activity that is best enjoyed with your friend. On this photo we see how the sun energy is used to dry hair instead of the hair dryers. Friends can enjoy sun, spend time together talking and drinking coffee. The arrangement consists of the colors found in the photo as well as the round shape of the vase/heads.
Entoto mountain park
Entoto (እንጦጦ) mountain, with its highest peak of 3.200 meters above sea level is considered a sacred mountain. It is a historical place where emperor Menelik II built his palace and founded city of Addis Abeba. The mountain is densely covered by eucalyptus trees and because of that it is referred to as the “lungs of Addis Abeba”.
Part of this area is devoted to the Entoto natural park, which opened in 2020. The park is equipped with various facilities, including restaurants, spa, sport centres, horseback riding etc. One of the spots in the park features beautiful cones made of the local bamboo – seen in the photo above. The ikebana is made in a bamboo vase resembling the conical shape of the Entoto park structures. The materials used are dry African lillies and Ethiopian roses.
Papayas
Papayas are in season now and one can see horse drawn carriages packed with papayas all over the city. I love watching all those differently shaped papayas and I love their special taste. The ikebana complementing the papayas is made of dry sunflowers in a locally made clay pot.