Steve Liston, the Lead Exhibitioner at the upcoming 2025 Bonsai Convention with CIMF, is shaking things up in the bonsai world. His visionary approach is making all the right waves! This year, in addition to competing in the National Bonsai Convention, he served as a masterful curator, demonstrating amongst many things, his commitment to the art. He has grown his Japanese maple bonsai since 1975, showing off the skill and devotion that goes into this delicate craft and rewarding passion.
The Japanese practice of bonsai is rooted in Asian traditions of creating miniaturized trees and plants. Local Australian bonsai artists such as Liston are turning their attention to our local natives, pushing the boundaries of what bonsai could and should represent. Today, the Canberra Bonsai Society has almost 200 members, having grown from the original eight enthusiastic horticulture students who established it in 1975. This remarkable transformation is a testament to a growing love of native plants.
The Rise of Australian Bonsai
With the bonsai movement growing rapidly, Australian artists are modernising traditional practices to use techniques that suit Australia’s unique conditions. Liston emphasizes that engaging with native trees presents thrilling new opportunities for bonsai enthusiasts. He stated, “Working with native trees offers great possibilities for bonsai.” This sentiment is echoed among other members of the community who are interested in the integration of native species into their designs.
Bonsai artists like Leigh Taafe have crafted over 10,000 bonsai and advocate for using native trees as excellent candidates for this art form. Taafe explains, “Banksia are quite gnarly old looking trees, so it certainly adds to that illusion of a big tree in miniature.” This move away from exotics and a greater focus on natives brings depth to the practice, while bridging the gap for practitioners with the Australian landscape.
The Canberra Bonsai Society has been instrumental in encouraging this shift. Tony Gill, the society’s president, emphasizes the organization’s growth: “From that group of eight, basically, we now have close to 200 members.” This growing wave of participation is indicative of a larger trend towards an appreciation of bonsai as a dynamic, living art form for all ages. Gill adds that their youngest member is only nine years old, and their oldest active member is 95.
Sustainable Practices in Bonsai
Therefore, sustainability and environmental stewardship are serious considerations for bonsai artists when it comes to gathering materials. Liston stresses responsible practices by saying, “The first thing is to get permission … the second thing is to do it sensitively and don’t leave a mess when you’re finished digging it up.” As part of his commitment to ethical harvesting, natural environments are respected in the pursuit of the art of bonsai.
The community often collaborates to source native species sustainably. Liston elaborated on their recent activities: “Our last dig was down at Fadden Pines.” The society conducts rescues of invasive species, re-purposing what is often viewed as a troublesome pest into something worthy of a fine bonsai collection. “We’ll go get some of those woody weeds which have escaped from gardens and eventually turn them into bonsai,” Liston added.
This focus on sustainability has resulted in one-of-a-kind collections that accentuate local flavor. Derek Oakley from Western Australia donated the first tree, a standard size Corymbia ficifolia to our new national collection. This Freshwater Paperbark is currently 57 years old. Most of the bonsai in this collection are deeply tied to Canberra. Because they were locally dug, rooted, each tree gains an added resonance.
A New Generation of Bonsai Artists
The popularity of native bonsai has inspired a new generation of artists ready to help shape this fascinating art form. Marcela Ferreira recalls her inspiration: “I would have been around 12 years old … when I saw Mr Miyagi working on them. I said to myself, ‘One day, I want to do that’.” The members of the Canberra Bonsai Society share an amazing depth of enthusiasm. Students constantly ideate, create and innovate, then return to report their closely watched experiments at play.
Fostering a collaborative, innovative peer-to-peer environment, the community arts atmosphere attracts great talent and cultivates new artists. Ferreira believes that, “I think it is just a mindset that people have been too stuck on,” referring to traditional views on what constitutes a bonsai. This willingness to experiment bodes well for the future of the short form down under.
