Do you do ikebana? You know, the ancient Japanese art of flower arrangement? Or, more directly translated: "the way of flowers". It's more than just putting a few carnations into an empty wine bottle and, unlike typical floral arrangements that usually work with collections of particolored or multicolored arrangement of blooms, ikebana often emphasizes other areas of the plant, such as its stems and leaves, drawing emphasis toward shape, line, form. It's minimalistic, symbolic and spiritual. And right now at The Museum of Design Atlanta, The Art of Ichiyo Ikebana is being celebrated as the living art that it is.

The work of Akihiro Kasuya (who's been the headmaster of Atlanta's Ichiyo School of Ikebana since 1983), explores the spiritual art of tradition, while broadening the genre's effect in this site-specific installation. It's modern aesthetic meets Japanese tradition. And while ikebana is a practice still immersed in centuries of tradition, Kasuya’s Ichiyo School seeks to update the form and stress the ability to express emotions or ideas. The difference is subtle but lends itself perfectly to a contemporary art environment.

Of course, being that these works of art are, well, living plants, Ichiyo's students will create new arrangements each week. And instructors from the Ichiyo School will host introductory workshops Tuesday, September 7 through Saturday, September 11 from 10 a.m. to noon and afternoons from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Here's hoping you don't have any allergies to flowers, because this living art is quite breathtaking.

Visit The Museum of Design Atlanta online for more details.