Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry

New Mirai Live Educator: David Cutchin

In this episode of Asymmetry, we are elated to announce Mirai Live's new educator David Cutchin, a long-term student of Mirai with an extensive background in ecology and Southeastern American environments. As an expert in tropicals, propagation, and material cultivation and development for bonsai, David ushers us into a new era of Mirai Live instruction. 

Stone Monkey - Andrew Pearson

In this episode of Asymmetry, Andrew Pearson, the UK-based ceramic artist behind the Stone Monkey brand joins Ryan Neil remotely to discuss the evolution of Pearson’s artistic journey. Expressing his connection to the containers he meticulously crafts, and the creation of the permanent vessel for the nonpermanent living tree, Pearson guides us through his artistic odyssey and the complicated ethos that accompanies the artists’s perspective of their own creations. 

 

To shop the newest collection of ceramics from Stone Monkey check out our webstore. 

Nao Tokutake

In this episode of Asymmetry, ceramicist Nao Tokutake joins Ryan Neil for an in-depth conversation of ceramics, delving into the concept of the vessel, the clay, the chemistry, and the origins of the bonsai ceramic. As a young and upcoming ceramic artist in the Pacific Northwest, Nao profoundly details his personal journey from his roots in Japan to his background in engineering that serves to supplement his keen artistic approach to the bonsai vessel. 

 

Shop our collection of Nao Tokutake's ceramics in our webstore at: https://goods.bonsaimirai.com/collections/vendors?q=Nao%20Tokutake

Peter Warren: Pinching Japanese Maples

In this episode of Asymmetry, long-time friends and bonsai professionals Peter Warren and Ryan Neil catch up on the past year and discuss the highly debated topic of Japanese maple pinching. As a Mirai collaborator and a revered United Kingdom bonsai educator, Peter Warren is well respected for his practice and knowledge of acer palmatum bonsai cultivation. 

 

To learn more from Peter Warren, check out his website.

World War Bonsai: Remembrance and Resilience

For this episode of Asymmetry, the Mirai team visited the Pacific Bonsai Museum to shine a light on the current exhibit, World War Bonsai: remembrance and resilience. Eve Sczechowski sits down with museum curator Aarin Packard and researcher Nancy Ukai, who is the director of a digital project called 50 Objects/Stories: The American Japanese Incarceration. Listen and understand Nancy's perspective as a Japanese American with family members who were unjustly incarcerated during the 1940's, and understand how this history has majorly influenced the story of American bonsai. 

To see more about the exhibit at the Pacific Bonsai Museum, check out: https://pacificbonsaimuseum.org/on-view/exhibits/

To read more about Nancy Ukai and her 50 Objects digital project, check out:  https://50objects.org/about/

Joshua Roth Tools

In this episode of Asymmetry, Ryan Neil is joined by Ken Carlson, the owner of Joshua Roth bonsai tools. As a testament to the quality, Joshua Roth tools have stood the test of time as effective, durable, and professional-grade tools that have an immense influence on bonsai cultivation. They discuss Ken's history in tools, the New Talent competition, and their previous collaboration for the Artisans Cup.

To shop our selection of Joshua Roth bonsai tools, check out our webstore at https://goods.bonsaimirai.com

Gil Marriner

In this episode of Asymmetry, Ryan Neil is remotely joined by Gil Marriner, a retired international pilot as well as a dedicated bonsai practitioner. They converse about what it takes to maintain a bonsai garden while juggling the schedule and responsibilities of a commercial pilot.  

Hugh Grant

In this episode of Asymmetry, Ryan Neil is proud to announce a new Mirai Live educator and Australian bonsai professional Hugh Grant. As the founder and creative force behind Tree Makers Bonsai, Hugh teaches outstanding technical and aesthetically driven bonsai concepts with reference to native Australian species. As a long-time friend of Bonsai Mirai, Hugh joins us to share his unparalleled understanding on Australian bonsai culture that is soon to come to Mirai Live. 

 

To learn more about Hugh Grant and Tree Makers Bonsai go to https://www.treemakers.net/

The Beginner Series

In this episode of Asymmetry, Mirai team members Josh and Eve catch up with Ryan for a nostalgic review of the creation of the beginner series. Josh emphasized his bonsai journey has only begun, while Eve is soon to take on her first attempt in the coming weeks. Conversations are shared of childhood toys, fantastical interests, interpretations of nature, and species to use as bonsai subjects. 

 

To watch the beginner series, click here.

Field Growing with Randy Night

In this episode of Asymmetry, Ryan is joined by one of the most prolific providers of bonsai material in the northwest United States, Randy Knight. After working on a series of strong-based deciduous trees at Mirai, we recognize the profound resource of Randy's field growing operation experience. As familiar friends, the two discuss noteworthy insight on growing deciduous material, sapling cultivation, and catch up with one another since the New Year.