Amanda Herries
February 17th, 2027 @ 10.30am
The serenity, asymmetry and control of a Japanese garden is a seductive contrast to Western symmetry, form and free growth. Even at the time of Japan’s self-imposed isolation, 1639-1854, information reached the West about trees, plants, flowers and designs through illustrations on imported porcelain, lacquer and screens. Once Japan opened up, travellers and plant-hunters were able to bring back information about the gardens, and the plants themselves. Japanese garden styles became highly fashionable into the 20th century, with several still identifiable. Tracing the origins of garden styles, the plants used and the surviving Western examples we can ask; is it possible to create a ‘Japanese’ garden outside Japan, or do we merely give it a Japanese voice?
Amanda Herries
With a degree in archaeology, Amanda was a curator at the Museum of London for a decade, specialising in the 18th to 20th centuries. After a 7 year sojourn in Japan with her family, she returned to the UK and has lectured extensively on Oriental/Western cross-cultural and artistic influences in addition to guiding tours to Japan. She has also written many publications on Japanese plant and garden influences in the West as well as curating exhibitions in Scotland on Raeburn, and more recently, the Scottish Colourist S J Peploe.