Guest Artists - 2017
Akio Kondo
Akio Kondo is a multiple award- winning artist from Japan, with over 25 years of experience working on world-class bonsai. His work has been showcased in famous shows in Japan such as Kokufu-ten, Taikan-ten, and Sakufu-ten. His juniper won the coveted Prime Minister Award in the 2014 Sakufu-ten. Akio completed his apprenticeship under the late Kihachiro Kamiya of the famous Kihachi-en bonsai nursery located in the Aichi prefecture where he served as senior “sempai” to bonsai artist (and MABS 2017 co-headliner) Boon Manakitivipart, and they’ve continued to collaborate closely since Boon’s time in Japan. Akio first visited the United States in 1995 and continues to travel to the US to work on private collections and provide guidance to serious enthusiasts. In 2009 Akio sold his bonsai nursery allowing him the freedom to travel across Japan and abroad to work on his client’s trees
Boon Manakitivipart
Boon’s passion is bonsai education- both learning and teaching. He had the privilege to study with one of the most famous bonsai masters in Japan, Kihachiro Kamiya. As part of his training, Boon helped set up and work every major Japanese bonsai show. His goal today is to share his bonsai expertise and knowledge with other bonsai enthusiasts. Boon sponsors study groups and workshops throughout the US and abroad and has a successful line of instructional DVDs. Rather than operate a retail bonsai business, Boon prefers to work directly with students, customers, and private collections around the world. Boon has won numerous national and international awards for his work on bonsai, most recently the Best Medium Size Bonsai in the 2016 US National Exhibit. He is known for his innovative techniques, unique bonsai styling, and creative teaching methods. Boon gets his greatest satisfaction when his students attain success: Several have won awards in major exhibitions, and the 2016 National Exhibition showcased over 30 trees from twenty of his students. Several of Boon’s students have become acclaimed bonsai artists and teachers in their own right.
Will Baddeley
Will Baddeley’s interest in bonsai started in 1997. He is self-taught but heavily inspired by Colin Lewis for his use of native species, particularly elm, and Kevin Wilson for his vision and carving ability and imagination. His work has been exhibited in the European Ginko Awards, he won the UK New Talent contest in 2002, and two pieces of his work are on the register of important British Bonsai. He has been teaching bonsai, both novices and advanced students alike, for the last nine years.
MidAtlantic Bonsai Societies
Young Choe
Kusamono artist Young Choe studied traditional art-ink painting and calligraphy in her native Korea before moving to the United States. She obtained her B.S. in Horticulture from the University of Maryland. She was able to combine her artistic talent and horticultural knowledge to create kusamono while volunteering at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in Washington, D.C. She traveled to Japan to study this unique art form with the master Kusamono artist Keiko Yamane, a former student of Saburo Kato. Young currently works at the US National Arboretum and at the USDA- NCRS National Plant Materials Center as a propagational horticulturist.
Site created and maintained by Steven Ittel
Guest Artists - 2017
Will Baddeley
Will Baddeley’s interest in bonsai started in 1997. He is self- taught but heavily inspired by Colin Lewis for his use of native species, particularly elm, and Kevin Wilson for his vision and carving ability and imagination. His work has been exhibited in the European Ginko Awards, he won the UK New Talent contest in 2002, and two pieces of his work are on the register of important British Bonsai. He has been teaching bonsai, both novices and advanced students alike, for the last nine years.Boon Manakitivipart
Boon’s passion is bonsai education- both learning and teaching. He had the privilege to study with one of the most famous bonsai masters in Japan, Kihachiro Kamiya. As part of his training, Boon helped set up and work every major Japanese bonsai show. His goal today is to share his bonsai expertise and knowledge with other bonsai enthusiasts. Boon sponsors study groups and workshops throughout the US and abroad and has a successful line of instructional DVDs. Rather than operate a retail bonsai business, Boon prefers to work directly with students, customers, and private collections around the world. Boon has won numerous national and international awards for his work on bonsai, most recently the Best Medium Size Bonsai in the 2016 US National Exhibit. He is known for his innovative techniques, unique bonsai styling, and creative teaching methods. Boon gets his greatest satisfaction when his students attain success: Several have won awards in major exhibitions, and the 2016 National Exhibition showcased over 30 trees from twenty of his students. Several of Boon’s students have become acclaimed bonsai artists and teachers in their own right.
Akio Kondo
Akio Kondo is a multiple award-winning artist from Japan, with over 25 years of experience working on world-class bonsai. His work has been showcased in famous shows in Japan such as Kokufu-ten, Taikan-ten, and Sakufu-ten. His juniper won the coveted Prime Minister Award in the 2014 Sakufu-ten. Akio completed his apprenticeship under the late Kihachiro Kamiya of the famous Kihachi-en bonsai nursery located in the Aichi prefecture where he served as senior “sempai” to bonsai artist (and MABS 2017 co-headliner) Boon Manakitivipart, and they’ve continued to collaborate closely since Boon’s time in Japan. Akio first visited the United States in 1995 and continues to travel to the US to work on private collections and provide guidance to serious enthusiasts. In 2009 Akio sold his bonsai nursery allowing him the freedom to travel across Japan and abroad to work on his client’s trees
Young Choe
Kusamono artist Young Choe studied traditional art-ink painting and calligraphy in her native Korea before moving to the United States. She obtained her B.S. in Horticulture from the University of Maryland. She was able to combine her artistic talent and horticultural knowledge to create kusamono while volunteering at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in Washington, D.C. She traveled to Japan to study this unique art form with the master Kusamono artist Keiko Yamane, a former student of Saburo Kato. Young currently works at the US National Arboretum and at the USDA- NCRS National Plant Materials Center as a propagational horticulturist.
Site created and maintained by Steven Ittel
Guest Artists - 2017
MidAtlantic Bonsai Societies
Akio Kondo
Akio Kondo is a multiple award-winning artist from Japan, with over 25 years of experience working on world-class bonsai. His work has been showcased in famous shows in Japan such as Kokufu-ten, Taikan-ten, and Sakufu-ten. His juniper won the coveted Prime Minister Award in the 2014 Sakufu- ten. Akio completed his apprenticeship under the late Kihachiro Kamiya of the famous Kihachi-en bonsai nursery located in the Aichi prefecture where he served as senior “sempai” to bonsai artist (and MABS 2017 co-headliner) Boon Manakitivipart, and they’ve continued to collaborate closely since Boon’s time in Japan. Akio first visited the United States in 1995 and continues to travel to the US to work on private collections and provide guidance to serious enthusiasts. In 2009 Akio sold his bonsai nursery allowing him the freedom to travel across Japan and abroad to work on his client’s treesWill Baddeley
Will Baddeley’s interest in bonsai started in 1997. He is self-taught but heavily inspired by Colin Lewis for his use of native species, particularly elm, and Kevin Wilson for his vision and carving ability and imagination. His work has been exhibited in the European Ginko Awards, he won the UK New Talent contest in 2002, and two pieces of his work are on the register of important British Bonsai. He has been teaching bonsai, both novices and advanced students alike, for the last nine years.
Boon Manakitivipart
Boon’s passion is bonsai education- both learning and teaching. He had the privilege to study with one of the most famous bonsai masters in Japan, Kihachiro Kamiya. As part of his training, Boon helped set up and work every major Japanese bonsai show. His goal today is to share his bonsai expertise and knowledge with other bonsai enthusiasts. Boon sponsors study groups and workshops throughout the US and abroad and has a successful line of instructional DVDs. Rather than operate a retail bonsai business, Boon prefers to work directly with students, customers, and private collections around the world. Boon has won numerous national and international awards for his work on bonsai, most recently the Best Medium Size Bonsai in the 2016 US National Exhibit. He is known for his innovative techniques, unique bonsai styling, and creative teaching methods. Boon gets his greatest satisfaction when his students attain success: Several have won awards in major exhibitions, and the 2016 National Exhibition showcased over 30 trees from twenty of his students. Several of Boon’s students have become acclaimed bonsai artists and teachers in their own right.
Young Choe
Kusamono artist Young Choe studied traditional art-ink painting and calligraphy in her native Korea before moving to the United States. She obtained her B.S. in Horticulture from the University of Maryland. She was able to combine her artistic talent and horticultural knowledge to create kusamono while volunteering at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in Washington, D.C. She traveled to Japan to study this unique art form with the master Kusamono artist Keiko Yamane, a former student of Saburo Kato. Young currently works at the US National Arboretum and at the USDA- NCRS National Plant Materials Center as a propagational horticulturist.
