A Life of Flowers

A Life of Flowers – With a Special Sight and Sound Recital featuring Traditional Japanese Instruments
Thursday, May 2, 2024 | 4-6 pm | FREE
The UMFA is proud to host Kimi Hill to discuss the life and art of her grandmother, the pioneering Bay Area issei ikebana sensei (teacher), Haruko Obata (1892–1989).

In a newly illustrated presentation, Kimi Hill will share her grandmother’s story based on a 1986 oral history, exploring Haruko’s youth in Japan, her life as the wife of artist Chiura Obata and mother of four children, her forced incarceration at Topaz, and her long career as an artist in her own right.

Assisting in this presentation will be Keiko Kubo from the “modern” Sogetsu school of Ikebana. She will present and elaborate on a few pre-made ikebana arrangements created specifically for this program.

At 7 pm, join us in the UMFA Great Hall for a special Sight and Sound performance.  Immerse yourself in the captivating melodies of musicians Shirley Muramoto and Bryan Mitsuhiro Wong as they present a recital featuring traditional Japanese instruments—the koto and shakuhachi.