Page 18 - BSAM 2017 Q4

A post-war period, a surge in bonsai As early as 1945, amateurs like Georges Soehnlen and André Montagne began to practice the art of bon-sai, starting from nursery seedlings and yamadori. But it was mostly in the 1980s that the practice of bonsai increased, thanks to ambitious professionals such as Remy Samson, and thanks to the founding of the French Bonsai Federation (FFB) in 1987. Today, this Federation plays an important role in the development of high level bonsai training. Te 120 clubs afliated with the Federation beneft greatly from a well-run organization. Its current presi-dent is Philippe Massard. What is particularly remark-able is that the Federation creates its own trainees giving them certifcation to teach , frst at club level, then at regional level, and lastly, at national level. Te accreditation tests are very demanding but permit the evaluation of the student’s theoretical knowledge, their practical experience, the quality of their creations and their teaching abilities. Nationally accredited train-ers, being members of the Panel of Judges, manage the credentials, awards and distinctions of the trees in exhibitions. Every year, the Federation organizes one congress, regional exhibitions and partners with important bonsai events in France. Tis organization has been constant in fulflling outstanding French bonsai as well as increasing the amount of new talent. Two French demonstrators will be headliners dur-ing the BCI Convention in Mulhouse, Jean-François Busquet and François Jeker.Jean-François Busquet Born in 1959 in the Paris region, Jean-François Busquet had a very particular career before discov-ering bonsai. He gave up his pharmaceutical studies to go discover the Himalayas. He then got involved in the humanitarian feld. He settled in Corbières in the south of France making bonsai his trade. He specialized in the collecting of yamadori and the sale of pre-bonsai. He is a lover of nature above all. He studied bonsai with Hideo Suzuki and Pius Notter. He has been conducting bonsai training courses for more than 12 years. He is involved in many French clubs and demonstrates regularly. He was invited to China in 2016 to the Black Scissors Convention. He writes articles in trade journals. Jean-François will give a demonstration in Mulhouse on a Scots pine which he collected and has prepared for the event. “The French Bonsai Federation has been constant in fulfilling outstanding French bonsai as well as increasing the amount of new talent.”Top; The frst exposition of bonsai in the West exhibited mostly azaleas. Bottom; Olive bonsai by José Nunes.