Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry

Jan Culek & Tom Benda: Pt. 2

In part two of our conversation with Tom Benda and Jan Culek, both incredible Czech ceramicists, we dive further into what makes them tick as artists. Explore how the evolution of bonsai fuels the evolution of their art, and vice versa; listen as Ryan, Lime, Tom, and Jan discuss the formation of ideas, the influence of the environment on a creator, and more.

Hosted by Ryan Neil

Recorded by Michael Lime Allen

Jan Culek & Tom Benda: Pt. 1

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

The Covered Wagon, 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

 

CoffeeCast with Juniper 3

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

Bonsai Behind Barbed Wire

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.

David Easterbrook

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

Cliffs of Bouddi

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

The Australian National Collection

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

On the Road with David Segal

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 

Tracey Francis, Murrumbung Studio Ceramics

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