Akiko Usami

Ikebana artist

©Akiko Usami

Ikebana with french dressing

Akiko makes non-traditional ikebana
Her style mixes Japanese and French influences
She draws inspiration from art and food

Akiko Usami's style is so peculiar that she even invented a name for it: “Wafuka”. It is a mix of Japanese and French and is Akiko Usami’s signature: “It’s ikebana with a twist”, she explains. Born and bred in Shizuoka prefecture, close to Mount Fuji, she moved to Paris a couple of years after graduation. “I had already been there on vacation and I had fallen in love with the city’s flower boutiques. I found a job in one of them. But customers kept asking me for ikebana, thinking I was an expert just because I was Japanese. Yet, I knew nothing about it. So I went back to Tokyo and studied ikenobo, the most ancient school of ikebana, for two years.” In 2008, she was back in Paris and by 2012 she was ready to launch her out-of-the-box studio.

Interview

©Akiko Usami

©Fred Frety

What’s the difference between your ikebana and the traditional one?: Japanese ikebana is extremely simple and exquisite, which I like very much, but it may seem too serious to Western eyes, sometimes even dull. My Wafuka arrangements are still sophisticated, yet they are more cheerful and accessible to my French customers.
How do you obtain this unique effect from a technical point of view?: While Japanese masters arrange a single flower or branch, I use more than one. Then, I choose local flowers, like peonies and sweet peas. Moreover, ikebana are traditionally set against a wall and seen only from the front, like paintings. Mine can be seen on all sides, like sculptures.
Which are your sources of inspiration?: Paris inspires me in many ways, both with its beautiful parks and gardens – from the Jardin du Luxembourg to the Palais Royal – and its art museums and exhibitions. Food is also appealing to me: I often take photos of meals when I’m at the restaurant.
What do you like the most about your profession?: I love the variety: doing many different things from ikebana art to weddings and events. Customers may ask me for classical arrangements or more Japanese-style ones, but in general they just trust me. So I am free to follow my intuitions.

Akiko Usami is a master artisan: she began her career in 2005 and she started teaching in 2012