The Art of Bonsai, an exhibition by bonsai expert Michael Blanc, opens at Studio Joli for three days.

[caption id="attachment_1152404" align="alignnone" width="841"] Bougainvillea Glabra, cascade-style -[/caption]

Blanc was born with a green thumb and enjoyed gardening for many years. The gift of his first bonsai led him to study the art and create more. He has been a cultivator of bonsai for close to 40 years, a media release said.

[caption id="attachment_1152407" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Natal Plum, five-tree landscape -[/caption]

Bonsai is a method of growing trees or shrubs where, through careful and precise training and pruning, the plant is slowly shaped and manipulated to give the appearance of an older, mature tree.

[caption id="attachment_1152403" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Styrax, umbrella-style -[/caption]

This art form stems from ancient Asian culture, originating in China and developed by the Japanese. In this culture, the cultivation of bonsai is an ongoing relationship, bringing many benefits to the home.

[caption id="attachment_1152406" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Gymelina, semi-cascade -[/caption]

Besides being objects of beauty, in feng shui, the ancient Chinese art of harmonising energies in the environment, placing bonsai in specific areas in the home is thought to bring good luck, wealth and prosperity, the release said.

[caption id="attachment_1152405" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Chinese Juniper, semi-cascade -[/caption]

The Art of Bonsai can be viewed from 10 am-6 pm on May 1-2, and from 10 am-2pm on May 3, at 21 Henry Pierre Street, St James.

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