Sumi Metz was born and educated in Nagasaki, Japan and came to California in 1965 with her husband. She spent her early years in California raising her two children and learning English. They eventually settled in San Jose..

She has studied,then taught ikebana for more than 30 years. During her long caree , her artistry and sunny nature have delighted large audiences throughout the greater San /francisco Bay area. Her work is firmly based in a deep understanding of Ikebana traditions, but she reaches beyond those boundaries to interpret Ikebana in purely contenporary works which reflect and complement modern life . Sumi 's Ikebana has a joyful personality which always communicates to viewers. Her creations reflect her imaginative and expert use of contemporary floral and manmade materials in complex designs.

As a young girl, Sumi watched in fastination as her sister arranged flowers at home. She developed a lifelong love of flowers which was encouraged in her cultural education classes at school. This devotion grew and has never left her as she developed her visionary, dramatic Ikebana art.

She began her formal Ikebana studies in the Wafu school. She studied there for nearly three decades, steadily earning progressive degrees: Teacher, (1980), Sanyo ( 1987), Somu (1989), and Gakukan (2000).

In 2000 Iemoto Seiga Aratame of Aratame Ryu school invited her to join his young school which was established by headmaster Arateme in 1993. The school's youth is apparent in the exuberent, vibrant interpretation created by the growing number of Aratame artists. She accepted and Headmaster Aratame, recognized her extraordinary talent as well as her business ability, asked her to establish a branch of Aratame Ryu in California. When she accepted, he appointed her as his assistant and named her president of Aratame USA.

She now teaches many students in her studiio each week and manages the affairs of Aratame Ryu USA.
When Headmaster Aratame made his first visit to San Francisco in 2003, she arranged his visit and assisted him on stage as he demoinstrated for a large and enthusiastic audience.

In addition to Ikebana, Sumi owned a popular restaurant for 14 years. She is a successful; business woman, nmanaging her real estate holdings and providing arrangements for the offices of a large computer firm in Silicon Valley.

Sumi also finds time to volunteer for several organizations. She participatess in Bay area Japanese festivals with demonstrations and exhibits. She provides Ikebana arrangements for the lobby of an elementary school in Cupertineo. In 1980 she joined the San Francisco Bay area chapter of Ikebana International and has served on the Board of directors.

She also belongs to the Ikebana Teachers' Federation, exhibiting and demonstrating at the Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco as well as the San Francisco Flower and Garden show. Her Ikebana was greatly admired at the Asian Art Museum and the "Bouquets to Art" floral extravaganza at the Legiona of Honor Museum.
She often demonstrates for other Ikebana chapters.

Sumi , with the able assistance of Tuan Tranm gave a demonstration for Monterey Bay Chapter as a fundraiser for this North American Regional Conference, where all the arrangements were auctioned by Tuan Tran, her very good friend and fellow ikebana artist.

Currently, Sumi is arranging a workbook of study materials for students of the Aratame Ryu school.

Sumii will lead a workshop in palm and New Zealand flax weaving to incorporate in freestyle arrangements.
This will be a delightful, informative workshop.