Artists

Architecture, Apprenticeship, and American Bonsai Education Boon Manakitivipart engineered his path into bonsai through deliberate study and disciplined practice. Rather than building a personal brand, he established a teaching legacy—one focused o...

The Father of American Bonsai Early Life and Roots in California John Yoshio Naka was born in Fort Lupton, Colorado, in 1914. Though he spent much of his early childhood in the United States, his formative years unfolded in Japan after his parents...

The Bonsai Magician Who Redefined the Art Masahiko Kimura didn’t just push bonsai forward—he detonated it into the modern era. Known for his dramatic deadwood, his sculptural forms, and his unapologetic vision, Kimura stands as the fulcrum between tra...

A True Bonsai Diplomat Saburo Kato is one of the most influential figures in the modern world of bonsai. While he is primarily known as a master practitioner of the art, his contributions go far beyond cultivating trees. Kato’s vision, paired with h...