Shoan Lo x Melbourne Ikebana Festival 

Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show 2026
​- Gold Award for Botanical Moments

Design Brief - Site  C33k

This display interprets the theme of a kaleidoscope through geometry, movement, and shifting layers of light. Gold-painted triangular forms extend outward in multiple directions, creating a fragmented structure that suggests reflection and transformation—like patterns constantly changing within a turning lens.
Dried rain deer wattle, also rendered in gold, threads through the framework, softening the angular lines with intricate, organic detail. It evokes the delicate complexity of repeating motifs that appear and dissolve in a kaleidoscope.
Set against a royal blue background, that gives depth and intensity, allowing the gold elements to shimmer with contrast. Fresh materials: white gypsophila offers lightness and space; red gloriosa brings energy and a sense of unfolding movement; and yellow dancing lady orchids add a playful, dancing quality to the composition.
Balancing structure with spontaneity, the work invites the viewer to shift their perspective. As the angles and layers realign from different viewpoints, new visual relationships emerge—capturing the transient beauty and ever-changing nature of a kaleidoscope.

​(Photo by Dr Shoso Shimbo)

Shoan's Ikebana won First Place at Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2025

(At the Natio Botanical Moments - Site C23f)

Display at 2024 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

Shoan's display at the
​Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2023 (Site C28G)
- "A Moment in Time - The Melting Hourglasses"

​​Will time stop and freeze if the symbol of time - The Hourglass- melts and its sand escape ?  

Inspired by Dali's "Persistence of Memory (1931), Shoan wonders if time will stop when its iconic symbol slowly melts away like Dali's clock in the dream wold.  

Size: 2.4m x 2m x 2.4m

Materials used:
​Red painted cane, Gypsophila, Hydrangeas, Oncidium (Dancing lady orchids)
 

Shoan's ikebana and Brendon Lee's koto performance
​at Box Hill Institute Mental Health Week 2022

Shoan Lo had the honour of collaborating with Melbourne-based koto musician Brendon Lee for a truly unique event. They were invited to perform a one-hour ikebana performance at the Box Hill Institute during Mental Health Week, showcasing the beauty and therapeutic nature of this traditional Japanese art form.

In ikebana, the art of flower arrangement, the process of creation is considered just as significant as the final result. As the audience gathered at the event, they were about to witness a captivating spectacle. Shoan Lo, armed with an array of fresh blooms and foliage, set out to construct a large-scale ikebana.

Brendon Lee, a master of the koto, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument, accompanied the performance with his serene melodies. The gentle sounds of the koto resonated through the space, setting a tranquil ambiance as Shoan began her artistic journey. 

Shoan's display at the
​Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2022
​"Celebration - Hanabi - The Fireworks"

Indeed, fireworks have an enchanting way of uniting people in celebration, transcending language barriers and cultural boundaries. As the day turns into night, the anticipation builds, and a collective sense of wonder fills the air. So let us revel in the magic of fireworks, for they are the universal language of celebration. With each dazzling burst, they kindle a sense of wonder and remind us that, despite our differences, we are bound together by our shared human experience.

Size: 2.5m wide x 1.4m high x 2m deep

Materials used:
​Red painted cane, Gypsophila, Gloriosa