Mother Nature 2009 by artists Haruko Furukawa and Yumiko Akashi

'Mother Nature' opening 10th August at 5.30pm.

This exhibition will see the collaborative works of Japanese style paintings and Ikebana, by artists Haruko Furukawa and Yumiko Akashi. More than simply putting flowers in a container, ikebana is a disciplined art form in which nature and humanity are brought together.

"Atua is the God of the Maori. The God flew from tree to tree like a bird. I can feel our earth is Mother Nature and it seems to resemble my thoughts. My imagination is inspired by these words. I think that the meaning of the name is big, because the God is considered to be responsible for the wars in the world now. Natural destruction, air pollution and so on, are the consequences of living in capitalism since the Second World War. The world sense of values has changed very quickly. We have begun to notice that the resources and environment of the earth are limited. The word ECO has become fashionable recently. If each person keeps natural love in mind, like our ancestors used to, the earth will be peaceful." – Haruko Furukawa