Florentina Vinica Barbu

IKEBANA – LIFE AROUND FLOWERS

Florentina Vinica Barbu (born in Bucharest, Romania, October 25, 1973) began her journey on the Way of Flowers (Kadō) 30 years ago, during high school, as a Zen practice. In 2019, she participated in an international Ikebana workshop where Eikou Sumura Sensei, master of the Sogetsu school, after seeing her works, simply told her: "Please, continue". Sumura Sensei's words of encouragement had a great impact on her, so from that moment she began formal studies at the school for certification.

Currently, Florentina Vinica Barbu is a certified teacher in Japan at the Sogetsu school, 2nd grade Sanyo (name in Ikebana: 愛花 Aika, in trans.: "Flower of Love"), a student of the Riji master Rumiko Matsumura Sensei.

She is a member of the Ikebana International organization, based in Tokyo and with branches all over the world, also a member of ISCIR - International Society of Ikebana Research within the Kyoto University of Arts.

Since March 2023, she is the president of the first and only Ikebana Association in Romania, Ikebana International Bucharest, based in the Faculty of Horticulture – University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine - Bucharest, an association she founded with the aim of joining the Ikebana International organization and also to promote the art of Ikebana in Romania, to create close ties with Japan and with Ikebana artists from all over the world. Currently, Ikebana International Bucharest is also the first and only branch of Ikebana International in Eastern Europe. Within this association, Florentina initiated many Ikebana workshops and exhibitions during the years, and this autumn there will be the 2nd edition of the Ikebana Festival, within the USAMVB, with international participation.

As a certified Ikebana teacher, Florentina teaches the official certified Japanese Sogetsu course in her Ikebana school "Floribana Dojo", but also creates various Ikebana workshops, for adults and even children, with the aim of familiarizing them with the art of Ikebana and to make them know and love nature, for example during the Green Week organized in schools.

She studied and continues to study with other Ikebana masters such as: Head of Sogetsu school Iemoto Akane Teshigahara, Ken Katayama Sensei (Sogetsu), Tetsunori Kawana Sensei (Sogetsu), Shoso Shimbo Sensei (Sogetsu), Nadia El Borai Yamamura (grand master in Ohara school), Eikou Sumura Sensei (Sogetsu), Ekaterina Seehaus – Somu first degree teacher (Sogetsu), having been enrolled in her Ikebana Club, since its foundation. Within this Ikebana Club she held two haiku workshops with club members from all over the world, with the aim of connecting the two arts, Ikebana and Haiku.

In October 2020 she participated with Ikebana creations in an exhibition of indigenous contemporary art intertwined with Ikebana, organized in Varna by her former teacher Oksana Shtyk, an event that was resumed in 2023 with an exhibition of Ikebana, Japanese calligraphy and sumi-e. She also participated in other virtual ikebana exhibitions and lectures, organized by Ikebana associations from other countries, among which we mention a virtual conference on the subject of "Roses" organized by the Ikebana International Panama Association, for an audience of approximately 150 people.

Also, starting July 1, 2022, she participates in the Ikebana meditation program, 千日式花行（Sennichi Souka Gyo), known as the 1000 Ikebana Challenge. This program, currently followed by only a few people worldwide, is led by Shoso Shimbo and Shoan Lo (two Ikebana Sogetsu teachers) and requires the creation of an Ikebana every day for 1000 days. For each Ikebana, Florentina usually writes a haiku, meant to freeze in time the fleeting emotion of that day. It is a unique program in the world, being inspired by Sennichi Kaiho Gyo, the most difficult Zen practice in Japan, started in the Heian period (794 - 1185).

In April 2024, she gave an Ikebana demonstration and workshop in Uzbekistan with Rumiko Matsumura Sensei, her current teacher, at an event dedicated to traditional Japanese arts.
In May 2024, Florentina had an Ikebana demonstration and workshop at the Palace of Parliament, as part of Symposium 06 - Ornamental Horticulture for the Service of Society – within EHC, the European Horticulture Congress, Bucharest, with participants from all over the world. Also, she created an Ikebana exhibition at the ISHS (International Society of Horticultural Sciences) booth, to celebrate Japan hosting the next World Horticultural Congress in 2026 in Kyoto.

On April 12th, 2025, Florentina had the special honour of participating in Hanami, the celebration of Spring organized by the Embassy of Japan in the Japanese Garden, having a demonstration of Ikebana in the presence of His Excellency Ambassador Katae Takashi.

Between 23-28 April 2025 Florentina Vinica Barbu participated for the first time as delegate of Romania to the Ikebana International 13th World Convention, the most important event in the Ikebana world, with more than 1100 participants from all over the world. This prestigious event was held in Kyoto under the honorary presidency of Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado. At the Convention, she represented Romania and participated in the international exhibition, had also the privilege to watch spectacular demonstrations of the most prestigious ikebana schools from Japan and even to study with one the most renowned masters, Yamada Sensei, in the traditional Ikebana School, Saga Goryu.

In May 2025, she continued her journey on Kado, The Way of Flowers, with workshops at the Sogetsu HQ - Tokyo, learning from renowned masters as Ken Katayama Sensei, Tetsunori Kawana Sensei and even with the iemoto of Sogetsu School, Akane Teshigahara.
After returning from Japan, on 9th May 2025, Florentina had an Ikebana workshop for Erasmus students within the Blended Intensive Program at USAMVB, with the title: ”Balance between Humanity, Heaven and Earth” – exploring climate change through the Japanese art of floral design, Ikebana”. On September 22, 2025, the series of workshops for Erasmus continued, this time for professors from various countries, with the theme: "Ikebana art in traditional Romanian ceramics - Zen concept of time within our natural space".

Due to her passion for flowers, Florentina continued her professional career in the field of horticulture, within the USAMV Bucharest, continuing with the master's degree in Biodiversity Conservation, currently being a doctoral student, her research is focused on the biodiversity of varieties and species of roses, with cosmetic and food use, roses being her specialty and also her most beloved flowers.

She also has a long and beautiful experience as a teacher and writes haiku as an accompaniment to Ikebana creations. She creates containers for Ikebana, being passionate about ceramics.

She is also interested in other Japanese traditions, such as Chado, the Tea Ceremony, or Kitsuke, the art of kimono.

Throughout her personal journey, music has always been present. Florentina was part of the Romanian Broadcasting Children's Choir, and since 1995 she has been a soprano in the Sound Choir, in which she has participated in numerous shows, competitions and festivals, in the country and abroad.

As a soloist, she recorded two albums with traditional music, and within the publishing house Art, she recorded songs for children, for textbooks and for an educational platform.

About the Ikebana Workshop: ”Balance between Heaven, Man and Earth”

Florentina is teaching Ikebana courses and workshops under the principle of Hana Kokoro 花こころ (Flower Heart). In this program, participants learn the principles of Ikebana, but also familiarize themselves with elements of Japanese culture, the history of Ikebana or Zen concepts.

"Kokoro こころ" is a Japanese word that reflects the idea of mind, spirit, and soul as being One, but it also refers to the idea of essence, wisdom, even sincerity. These nuances are lost in translation, with the word usually being translated as "heart." 

The main elements of an ikebana arrangement, Heaven, Humanity and Earth, describe our inner and outer Universe, contained in a vase. Creating harmony in an Ikebana arrangement leads to its recreation in our soul. The most hidden treasures of the soul will thus be revealed. The beauty and harmony of flowers will transform our soul at the same time, and balance will be restored, inside and out. Sofu Teshigahara, the founder of the Sogetsu school, said: "Flowers become human in Ikebana." And we will have a flower soul.