Bill Valavanis has devoted his life to bonsai. With a career spanning over 50 years, he has had the opportunity to watch bonsai history develop and accumulate. He founded the International Bonsai Arboretum, the U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition, and has published countless articles and books exploring bonsai practice. At the 2018 U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition, we had the opportunity to sit with Bill for an interview. In this video, listen to two of bonsai’s most prominent and unique practitioners discuss notable exhibitions, techniques they’ve learned over time, and the growth and evolution happening in bonsai as an art form. They explore deep questions for the world of bonsai: can traditional forms satiate a practitioner throughout their career? Where is bonsai headed in the United States, and what does that western influence mean for the art form? Where is bonsai headed in the world at large? Enjoy this meeting of the minds: two artists who have made a career and a life with their bonsai practice, exploring this historic art from different perspectives, and guiding the future of bonsai.