Seoul March 3rd, 2007 (WAM)--A piece of floral arrangement madeby Mrs. Aida Al Maainah, wife of UAE Ambassador to Korea, waspraised by art critics here as "one of the best" art works whichrepresent cross-cultural beauty combining Asian value with Islamculture in balanced way.
The art work done by Mrs. Aida Al Maainah was among the 80 selectedart works of floral arrangement on display at Westin Chosun Hotelin downtown Seoul as part of the 77th Flower Exhibition organizedby Wha Kong Hoe, the largest and oldest floral arrangement societyin Korea. "In my view, her work is quite exotic but the way she emphasizesthe linear aspects of the arrangement seems to be quite professional,although she is beginner in Korean floral arrangement," commentedMs. Lee Ki-ja, one of the leading critics of Korean floral arrangement.Formal flower arrangements were closely allied to the developmentof the Korean tea ceremony, and suggestions have been made thatthese were often corner-of-the-room arrangements on small tablesusing a central vessel with most often a small branch and a smallgroup of local flowers.
Arrangements were primarily done by women in tea-houses, andin the greater houses, Confucian male masters may have done thisas well.
There is no exact date for the origination of this floral art,and it was not documented before the 14th century as a distinctart. In contrast to the decorative form of flower arranging in westerncountries, the Korean flower arrangement creates a harmony oflinear construction, rhythm, and color. While westerners tendto emphasize the quantity and colors of the flowers, devotingtheir attention mainly to the beauty of the blossoms, the Koreanemphasize the linear aspects of the arrangement.
