Episodes

Friday Dec 06, 2019
Jan Culek & Tom Benda: Pt. 1
Friday Dec 06, 2019
Friday Dec 06, 2019
In this episode of Asymmetry, dive into the stories and experiences behind the innovative ceramic and bonsai artists Tom Benda and Jan Culek, both of the Czech Republic and both creating some of the most exquisite ceramic vessels available for bonsai today. Listen and explore the fall of Communism and the shifts in government in the Czech Republic, and the experiences that shaped the lives and artwork of these two incredible artists.
Hosted by Ryan Neil
Recorded by Michael Lime Allen

Friday Nov 22, 2019
The Covered Wagon, 2019
Friday Nov 22, 2019
Friday Nov 22, 2019
It's that time of year again: Ryan and Lime journeyed across the country on the Covered Wagon, Bonsai Mirai's yearly tree transport service, to bring trees to their owners and to bring you another slightly delirious road-recorded episode of Asymmetry. In this episode, Ryan and Lime show you the history, process, and the reality behind the Covered Wagon, with plenty of sleep-deprived humor along the way.
Hosted by Ryan Neil
Recorded by Michael Lime Allen

Friday Nov 15, 2019
CoffeeCast with Juniper 3
Friday Nov 15, 2019
Friday Nov 15, 2019
After a short hiatus spent driving the Covered Wagon (our cross-country tree transport service) to New York, we're back with another CoffeeCast: a dispatch from one of the groups that have been studying at Mirai the longest, our Juniper 3 class. Though the group comes from varied backgrounds, they find commonality in bonsai; in this episode, they discuss barbecue, ceramics, and the way they approach artistic creation.
Hosted by Ryan Neil
Recorded by Michael Lime Allen

Saturday Oct 26, 2019
Bonsai Behind Barbed Wire
Saturday Oct 26, 2019
Saturday Oct 26, 2019
We've got a very special podcast for you this week–several months ago, Ryan had the opportunity to be interviewed by History Colorado for their podcast Lost Highways: Dispatches from the Shadows of the Rocky Mountains. In this episode, storytellers Tyler and Noel set out to discover the history of bonsai in Colorado. They discuss how WWII prison camps influenced bonsai in North America, the pioneers of this art form in Colorado, and the tangled webs of cultural identity wrapped up in this ancient art.
Subscribe to Lost Highways: Dispatches from the Shadows of the Rocky Mountains wherever you get your podcasts, or visit https://www.historycolorado.org/lost-highways.

Saturday Oct 12, 2019
David Easterbrook
Saturday Oct 12, 2019
Saturday Oct 12, 2019
In this episode, travel to Montreal with Ryan for an exploration of the Montreal Botanical Garden's Bonsai & Penjing Collection with none other than its chief creator–David Easterbrook. Walk through the history of this collection, how it was created, and the relationships David built with the Montreal Bonsai Club as part of the collection's creation. Discover just how much of an impact David Easterbrook has had on North American bonsai.
Hosted by Ryan Neil
Edited by Michael Lime Allen

Friday Sep 27, 2019
Cliffs of Bouddi
Friday Sep 27, 2019
Friday Sep 27, 2019
On a magical, once-in-a-lifetime trek to the edge of a cliff in Australia's Bouddi National Park, Ryan and Lime sit with Australian artists (bonsai & otherwise) David Segal and Hugh Grant. They explore their thoughts on bonsai, and how individual cultures impact the evolution of this ancient art form, all while sitting in untouched nature full of ancient gum trees.
Hosted by Ryan Neil
Recorded by Michael Lime Allen

Saturday Sep 21, 2019
The Australian National Collection
Saturday Sep 21, 2019
Saturday Sep 21, 2019
In this episode, continue exploring Ryan and Lime's Australian journey, this time with a visit to the Australian National Bonsai Collection. Ryan and Lime discuss the collection with curators Lee Taafe and Samuel Thompson, diving into its origins, the move to a new facility, and the work these two are doing to bring this collection to its full potential. Australian bonsai is rapidly growing and evolving, and this collection is at its forefront.
Hosted by Ryan Neil
Recorded by Michael Lime Allen

Friday Sep 13, 2019
On the Road with David Segal
Friday Sep 13, 2019
Friday Sep 13, 2019
On the way from Sydney to Canberra for the World Bonsai Masters event (presented by Australia's National Bonsai & Penjing Collection and National Arboretum Canberra) Ryan and Lime chat with David Segal–one of the artists fueling the exploration of Australian native species material and pushing Australia forward in its own unique bonsai culture. Listen for a discussion on composition, what it means to redesign a tree (or have your tree redesigned), and more on the new frontier of Australian bonsai.
Hosted by Ryan Neil
Recorded by Michael Lime Allen

Friday Sep 06, 2019
Tracey Francis, Murrumbung Studio Ceramics
Friday Sep 06, 2019
Friday Sep 06, 2019
In this episode of Asymmetry, we're going to Australia: Ryan and Lime sit with Tracey Francis, a prolific ceramicist whose work evokes the unique and native climate, flora, and fauna of Australia in her shapes, colors, and textures. The group explores her approach, her influences as a ceramicist, and the nuances of ceramics as it relates to Australian culture, and Australian bonsai. For U.S. customers, Tracey's work is exclusively available through Bonsai Mirai - to shop her work, go to goods.bonsaimirai.com/collections/vendors?q=Tracey%20Francis
Hosted by Ryan Neil
Recorded by Michael Lime Allen

Friday Aug 16, 2019
Bob Pressler & the Ben Oki Juniper
Friday Aug 16, 2019
Friday Aug 16, 2019
In this episode of Asymmetry, Ryan sits down with an old friend and pillar of the California Bonsai scene - Bob Pressler of the California Bonsai Society. They dig deep into the roots of California bonsai; Bob moved to California and joined the bonsai scene under the likes of Ben Oki, Harry Hirao, and John Naka. Most importantly, they announce the creation of the Ben Oki Scholarship Foundation, to fuel the education of dedicated bonsai practitioners, funded by the upcoming auction (beginning September 3, 2019) of a stunning juniper collected and created by Ben Oki, most recently styled by Ryan.
To learn more about the Ben Oki Scholarship Foundation, or apply for the scholarship, visit californiabonsaisociety.com.
Hosted by Ryan Neil
Recorded by Michael Lime Allen