What kind of trees win prizes at prestigious Japanese exhibits like Taikan-ten? Trees like the black pine below. Black pine This tree took top honors at this year’s Taikan-ten. The work is by Masahiko Kimura. What makes the tree special? Great health, great trunk and bark, great branch development and great balance in terms of […]
Exhibits
Exhibits are where we can see bonsai at their best. Explore posts from Bonsai Exhibits in the U.S. including the U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition and Japanese events including the world-famous Kokufu and Taikan-ten exhibits.
Needle juniper at 35th Taikan-ten
A few weeks ago I made a last minute decision to head to Japan to visit the 35th Taikan-ten held in Kyoto. I’m glad I did. Visiting exhibits in Japan provides a great opportunity to catch up with friends from around the world and to do a little bonsai-related shopping for tools, pots and accessories. […]
East Bay Bonsai Society’s 54th Bonsai Show
The East Bay Bonsai Society held their 54th bonsai show earlier this month at the Lakeside Garden Center in Oakland, California. The show features quite different trees from year to year – this year’s event featured a lot of conifers. Here are some of the highlights. California juniper Black pine California juniper Accent Black pine […]
Lights, camera – bonsai!
Two lights per tree – that was the sum of the lighting at the Artisans Cup. The effect was dramatic. My first view of the exhibit To better convey the shape of the tables and backdrops, here’s a shot that’s slightly over-exposed. Yew flanked by hemlock, Eastern cedar and Rocky Mountain juniper Many of the […]
Judging the Artisans Cup by categories
The Artisans Cup featured several panels throughout the weekend that gave visitors a chance to learn from the team that put the event together, from the Neils, and from the judges. During the judges’ panel, time was devoted to the different approaches of recognizing excellence in an exhibit. The Artisans Cup recognized the 1st, 2nd […]