Aileen Duke (Shoto) is a Sogetsu Ikebana artist and teacher, with a background in art education, information technologies and business governance.
In 2018, she won the international online Ikebana Gallery Award in both Overall and People's Choice categories. In 2016, her essay 'Ikebana: Respecting the Past, Expressing the Future' was published in the International Journal of Ikebana Studies. She has exhibited at the Wa exhibition several times. She is a secretary of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana, Victoria Branch.
"The creative, meditative and mindful aspects of Japanese flower arrangement provide a fantastic counter-balance to our busy lives," says Shoto, "Ikebana brings beauty into our homes, hearts and minds and enhances our appreciation of nature.
Shoto teaches Ikebana on the Mornington Peninsula, in Victoria, accepting casual and certificate students. Under her business name, Eclipse Ikebana, she makes arrangements for a number of local businesses, and runs workshops at a range of venues. During 2019, she has teamed up with SeaCrest yoga to present Yoga and Ikebana workshops in Red Hill.
Find Shoto online at ww.ikebana.net.au, @eclipse.ikebana, @shoto.ikebana, or email eclipse@ikebana.net.au for information or bookings.
