MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE CENTER
July 3–5, 2026 

---

Muneko Hirate

平手宗子

Muneko Hirate is a Japanese artificial flower artist and a member of the Japan-Europe Palace Art Association.
Drawing upon a sensibility cultivated through Japan’s rich floral traditions, she creates works that harmoniously blend Eastern and Western aesthetics.
Her artistic expression naturally bridges tradition and modernity, as well as Japanese and Western cultural values, revealing new possibilities in the art of floral design.

---

 Angel’s Prayer 

 天使の祈り 

Artist’s Statement

When wars break out or natural disasters strike in different parts of the world, people experience a wide range of emotions.
Feelings such as anger and sorrow inevitably arise, yet alongside them come hopes for recovery, words of encouragement, and heartfelt support.
I believe that these sentiments eventually reach those affected as comfort, healing, and prayer.
This work was created around the themes of peace and inner tranquility.

世界のあちこちで戦争が起こったり災害があったりしたとき、人はさまざまな思いを持ちます。
怒りや悲しみなど負の感情も当然あらわれますが、復興への想いや励ましの思い心からの応援はやがて癒し、祈りとなって届いていくと思います。
「平和」とか「心の平安」テーマに制作しました。

Message from the Artist

There is no greater happiness than being able to bring a smile to the face of a neighbor, a stranger, or anyone we encounter.

隣人に、他人に笑顔を届けることができたならこんな幸せなことはありません。

---

Japan-Europe Palace Art Association Commentary

The art of Muneko Hirate is rooted in a sensibility nurtured by Japan’s rich floral culture while developing a distinctive artistic language that naturally bridges East and West, tradition and modernity.
More than simply arranging flowers as artistic materials, she elevates the emotions, memories, and aspirations that flowers evoke into visual form.
This ability to transform intangible human sentiments into artistic expression lies at the heart of her creative vision.

The graceful curves and expansive compositions found throughout her work reflect a harmonious fusion of the spiritual principles of Japanese ikebana and the freedom of contemporary floral design.
Their interplay generates a sense of lightness, rhythm, and spatial richness.
The flowers within each composition respond to one another in delicate balance, creating an organic unity that seems to possess a life of its own.
Underlying Hirate’s work is a deep commitment to engaging with flowers through all five senses.
Careful attention is given to the relationships between color, texture, and space, resulting in works that radiate both elegance and refinement.
Through flowers, she seeks to foster connections between people while conveying aspirations for peace and the enduring beauty of Japanese aesthetics.
It is this universal quality that allows her art to resonate with audiences across national and cultural boundaries.

平手宗子の作品は、日本の花文化に育まれた感性を基盤としながら、東洋と西洋、伝統と現代を自然に結びつけた独自の花芸術を展開している。
花を素材として扱うだけでなく、その先にある人の思いや祈りまでも造形へと昇華しているところに、作家の一貫した世界観が表れている。

しなやかに描かれる曲線や伸びやかな構成には、華道の精神性とフラワーデザインの自由な発想が融け合い、軽やかなリズムと豊かな空間性が生み出されている。
作品を構成する花々は互いに呼応しながら調和し、一つの生命体のような有機的な広がりを感じさせる。

平手宗子の表現には、五感を通して花と向き合う姿勢が息づいている。色彩や質感、空間の取り合わせに細やかな配慮が行き届き、その画面からは優しさと品格が漂う。
花を通して人と人を結び、平和への願いや日本の美意識を伝えようとするその創作は、国や文化を越えて多くの人々の心に響くものである。