While the name may evoke romantic associations with Southern France, upon entry it becomes instantly clear that Azuma-san breaks with this notion radically. The client is asking me to work with them because they believe that I am able to capture their image well. Where do you draw your inspiration from in a concrete jungle like Tokyo? Exposé #14: Azuma Makoto, flower artist from Tokyo, Japan. I am very tired of being surrounded by so many things. The studio JARDINS des FLEURS is located in the heart of Tokyo. I met this guy when I was in Amazonas, he was 70 years old and had been studying flowers for 40 years and he said he only knows approximately 30% of the Amazonas plants. And his list of clients attests to his approach. I can‘t say it doesn‘t affect me, but I never think about it in a conscious way. Acclaimed flower artist and pioneer in the field of botanical sculpture, Azuma Makoto created a flower installation to celebrate the opening weekend at Japan House … Trotz allem verlässt er auch oft seine Heimatstadt, um die Welt zu bereisen, seine Kunst auszustellen und vorzuführen oder neue Blumen und Pflanzen zu entdecken. azuma makoto is a japanese flower artist who pioneered the genre of the 'botanical sculpture'. Having collaborated with only the most notable fashion brands and holding an exhibition with Dries Van Noten at the museum for Les Arts Decoratifs in Paris, he still finds time to travel to the most remote places in order to find unknown plants. Er ist ständig dabei, Grenzen zu setzen, um sie dann wieder zu verschieben. When I saw this place I really thought, I want to do something here. Fukuoka is an amazing place, you have a lot of nature and nice weather. This combination really draws the attention to the beauty of nature and this is what I want to show. Als Sohn eines Koches hat Makoto seinem Vater oft bei der Arbeit zugesehen und gleichzeitig großen Respekt und Begeisterung für diese Profession entwickelt: „Kochen ist große Kunst und sehr ähnlich zur Blumenkunst. Of course I need to know the brand image well. I guess I am not interested in things that will leave something behind. Every flower is very different, even if it is all red roses. Die Ergebnisse sind Kombinationen von Farben und Texturen, die Welten darstellen, die sich vorher nie jemand hätte vorstellen können. I’m sure you’ve seen this artist’s work before, perhaps his “Botanical Space Flight” {flowers in space… seriously}. It is not that I wanted to overcome this but whatever I did it just happened to overcome it. We have so many things and we want so many things. “Ich habe eine tiefe, intuitive Verbindung zu Blumen. Azuma, who founded the high-end store Jardins des Fleurs in Tokyo in 2002, began staging ambitious feats of flower art under the experimental studio–cum–research institute called Azuma Makoto Kaju Kenkyujo (AMKK) in 2008. I try to escape the city a lot. N. T・STOMACH HOUSE. For me Tokyo is really more like a work place, not a place where I find inspiration. It may have its roots in the job that he took at Tokyo’s Ota Flower market to help pay the bills while he was a struggling musician. Flowers are not forever, they last for a certain amount of time and that thought feeds my creativity. For me it was just very interesting to be surrounded by all these living objects and to create something with these objects. If you could choose a place to realize a sculpture somewhere in Tokyo where would that be? JARDINS des FLEURS is a laboratory filled with objects that you would expect to see next to an operating table rather than a flower bouquet. They all have individual characteristics and you create a piece of work by gathering them into one. Eine jede ist eine Einladung, alles bisher Dagewesene zu überschreiten. Ein Werkzeug, das die Verlängerung des Körpers darstellt und mit dem man jedes kleine Detail unter Kontrolle hat. Yet, he also often crosses the borders of his hometown to travel the world, exhibiting, performing, and discovering new types of flowers or plants. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Tokyo is not really fun for me anymore. "Es ist wichtig, sich wohl zu fühlen. But what first appears as a sterile studio slowly reveals itself as a place designed for requirements of his working material: lighting, humidity and temperature are optimized and there is music playing that is hardly noticeable to the human senses; composed for the wellbeing of the flowers. So I kind of feel like I give time and moments to my clients. Tokyo seems like a concrete jungle, that’s true, but at the same time this is only the center, if you drive only one hour away you can find beautiful scenery. I got into this job because I started to work in a flower market. Making music is creating a piece of work by layering this process, so I guess it is very similar to flowers. Ob in meinem Studio in Tokyo oder auf meinen Reisen – Blumen spielen immer eine Rolle in meinem täglichen Leben.“. I think it is impossible to get to know anywhere near all the flowers in the world. Bob Hambly. Basically I only work with brands that I personally really like. Oct 6 Azuma Makoto. “The beauty of flowers comes with changing the context”, he explains, referring to his apparatus-like sculptures where he augments the flower by using industrial materials and devices. From flowers locked in ice to space-age pine trees, Japanese artist Makoto Azuma has built a career from a "new genre of art" that blends plants with artificial mediums to strikingly beautiful effect. Studio Sunday: Azuma Makoto Today on Studio Sunday let’s take a look inside the studio of Azuma Makoto. We don’t really need things to ‘stay’ I think. No not really, I really feel like flowers are the most beautiful piece of art you can have, especially in our modern society. The studio has been compared to Jurassic Park meets Willie Wonka.. Like Dr. Dolittle talks to the animals, Makoto communicates with flowers. This final icy installation is absolutely stunning, but wait, there’s more! Weil er von ihrer Zerbrechlichkeit fasziniert ist und dieses empfindliche Medium leidenschaftlich gerne nutzt, um Grenzen auszutesten und zu überschreiten. We enjoyed listening to his latest travel adventures in the heart of the Amazonas while sipping tea in his little sanctuary, forgetting about the concrete jungle surrounding us for a moment. Azuma Makoto (東 信 Azuma Makoto, born on 24 July 1976) is a Japanese floral artist, botanical sculptor and co-founder of flower shop Jardins des Fleurs. Gasp! Trotz allem verlässt er auch oft seine Heimatstadt, um die Welt zu bereisen, seine Kunst auszustellen und vorzuführen oder neue Blumen und Pflanzen zu entdecken. Of course they can’t bring everything so on my trip to the Amazonas I did the artwork and took pictures over there. Makoto Azuma World-renowned Artist Based in Tokyo, Makoto’s exclusive flower boutique is the epicentre of his creative experimentation. Was that a perspective you had to overcome? Um etwas zu kreieren, das einen echten Einfluss auf die Menschheit hat. Azuma Makoto, the artist and botanical sculptor known for his breathtakingly beautiful and daring floral arrangements, started out in the Tokyo music scene playing bass in a rock band.But eventually, he was drawn to the siren song of flowers: first, with a job as a trader in a flower market, then, by opening his own shop, Jardins des Fleurs, in 2001. I always try to explore new things that I don‘t know. I’m not really interested in painting. He came to Tokyo in 1997 to make his debut in a rock band with four members. They become something very different – like an apparatus. If I need a certain flower from abroad I can always ask them and I can have it here in Japan. Das Epizentrum seines kreativen Schaffens ist seine exklusive Blumen-Boutique in Tokio. RELATED. In his work Azuma investigates the life-cycle of flowers from the moment of planting through to decomposition, adding sensitivity to the ikebana tradition of listening to flowers. Makotos Werke haben ihren Ursprung in der „Ikebana“ – der traditionellen japanischen Kunst, Blumen zu arrangieren. I also go abroad a lot. Posted in Art SIte, Portraits Tagged Artsite, Flowers, Makoto Azuma, Portraits Continue Reading. We are selling time in a way, the changing process is part of it along with the question of time. Makoto Azuma Ein weltweit einzigartiger Blumenkünstler. How did former Japanese punk rocker, Azuma Makoto, become a world renown flower artist? Japanese artist Makoto Azuma has built a career from a "new genre of art" that blends plants with artificial mediums to strikingly beautiful effect. Absolutely. It is a playful attitude towards an environment that is ruled by concrete. I was shocked! I feel like if I combine it with a man-made object, the flowers become even more beautiful. For the most part it is a daunting task to summarize a city by a single characteristic. Can you imagine working with something else other than flowers? It’s very different from, for example, catching a moment in a photograph. The wild plants in Amazonas really shocked me and surprised me a lot. Makoto is a Japanese artist who works in the unusual medium of flowers, growing them, sometimes splicing them and otherwise affecting their development, and … ", Ein weltweit einzigartiger Blumenkünstler. Was there a certain point when you realized that you wanted to work with flowers? Working with a client first of all means having a lot of meetings. Since we as humans use that to create an artwork, I really wanted to include something man-made in contrast. In diesem Moment ist er vollkommen ruhig und kann seiner Kreativität freien Lauf lassen. As you probably know Japan has a famous tradition of flower art called Ikebana and so a lot of people think in a very conservative way about flowers. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Acclaimed flower artist and pioneer in the field of botanical sculpture, Azuma Makoto created a flower installation to celebrate the opening weekend at Japan House London from Friday 22 June to Sunday 24 June 2018. Makoto Azuma. That is why we have to talk a lot. “Frozen Flowers” by Japanese artist Makoto Azuma.This breathtaking piece is from 2018, but as we head into winter here in the Northern hemisphere, it feels very appropriate! Wenn man den renommierten Künstler Azuma Makoto fragt, was seine größte Inspiration ist, wird er, ohne zu zögern, antworten: „Die Natur“. Azuma is not just a flower artist at studio AMKK, but also a businessman and owner of the flower shop Jardin des Fleurs. Our work here is not only about creating something and then giving it to somebody, the story continues and that’s the fun part about working with flowers. The reason why I have my base in Tokyo is because Tokyo has the best flower market in the world. Are you interested in art in general where works are built for eternity? P. VOTE FOR ME | ELECTIONS IN JAPAN. One of the artworks that I liked most are your flower sculptures with the technical elements attached. Flowers and plants are very natural things. Creativity Through Botanical Sculpture by Makoto Azuma. Warum? Some of my favorites are botanical sculptor Makoto Azuma and photographer Shiinoki Shunsuketo, the partners behind the Tokyo floral shop Jardin des Fleurs. It is a collaboration so we have to talk a lot and communicate our ideas. Minami Aoyama is one of these sacred areas. Wenn man Großes bewirken möchte, braucht man ein Werkzeug, dem man vertrauen kann. For me this makes more sense than planning and researching everything. Aber auch, Menschen zu bereichern. I mean, of course the place where you grow up influences you a lot, and in my case I am sure my surroundings in Fukuoka shaped the way I see flowers and how I treat them. I’m sure you’ve seen this artist’s work before, perhaps his “Botanical Space Flight” {flowers in space… seriously}. 411 talking about this. Fragt man Makoto nach seiner Arbeitsweise, wird er sofort von seiner Schere erzählen. It’s also a link to Azuma and his wildly imaginative floristry. In around 2005 Azuma adopted a new form of flower arranging which he called botanical sculpture. When you go abroad do you follow a certain idea or do you just explore the place, open to whatever you encounter? Trotz allem verlässt er auch oft seine Heimatstadt, um die Welt zu bereisen, seine Kunst auszustellen und vorzuführen oder neue Blumen und Pflanzen zu entdecken. Yes I travel a lot these days so I get to discover many kinds of plants and flowers. Creativity Through Botanical Sculpture by Makoto Azuma. And it’s the same with music, if you play in anger, in a calm manner, play it here or play it there, the music changes even if it’s the same chord. This is the studio of flower artist Azuma Makoto. In beiden Bereichen wählt, arrangiert und kontrolliert man natürliche Materialien – und denkt darüber nach, was man damit bei Menschen auslösen kann.“ Hätte er sich nicht dafür entschieden, seine Kreativität mit Blumen auszudrücken, könnte man sich Azuma auch gut in seiner Küche vorstellen, wie er mit Miele Technologie kunstvolle Gerichte erschafft. So you see yourself somehow relating to Ikebana as a genuine Japanese tradition? You grew up in Fukuoka what does this city mean to you? Botanical sculpture is simply something that is produced through my creative work, but it is actually the process of creating a work of art which is made of plants and flowers that have precious lives with short life cycle, and it turns into something like a sculpture by being arranged by a human being. I am only interested in flowers. “Frozen Flowers” by Japanese artist Makoto Azuma.This breathtaking piece is from 2018, but as we head into winter here in the Northern hemisphere, it feels very appropriate! Find out more about Azumas work here. Die Blumen exakt anzuordnen und währenddessen mit ihnen zu kommunizieren versetzt Makoto in einen meditativen Zustand. Since I was little I was surrounded by flowers, the flowers my mum had in the house were all very Japanese. Makoto kreierte vier verschiedene Blumeninstallationen – jede einzelne sowohl von der elementaren Technologie des jeweiligen Küchen-Einbaugerätes als auch von natürlichen Landschaften inspiriert. Posted on 19/09/2010 19/03/2019 Author alessio guarino Posted in Art SIte, Portraits Tagged Artsite, Flowers, Makoto Azuma, Portraits. Azuma, who founded the high-end store Jardins des Fleurs in Tokyo in 2002, began staging ambitious feats of flower art under the experimental studio–cum–research institute called Azuma Makoto Kaju Kenkyujo (AMKK) in 2008. While in the studio I stumbled on his series of prints from his Distortion & Flowers projects and immediately was attracted by these visuals. So I interpret it for myself, but there are things I cannot compromise on. On my recent trip to Tokyo, I was lucky enough to be invited by Perrier-Jouet to the studio of Floral artist Azuma Makoto. This is the studio of flower artist Azuma Makoto. Tokyo’s charm lies in its ability to create space where there is no space. Once you turn away from the big intersections, you will find yourself in a maze of little streets, tiny shops and residential houses. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Makoto Azuma (東 信, Azuma Makoto, born July 24, 1976) is a Japanese flower artist, botanical sculptor, and co-founder of JARDINS des FLEURS. In the context of fine arts flower are often seen as something decorative, something traditional. Makoto Azuma Ein weltweit einzigartiger Blumenkünstler Das Epizentrum seines kreativen Schaffens ist seine exklusive Blumen-Boutique in Tokio. We have to fit really well. Die Eisskulpturen, die er für Miele kreiert hat, zeigen genau diesen Moment – und machen ihn erlebbar für andere. I never thought about it in this way though. Das Epizentrum seines kreativen Schaffens ist seine exklusive Blumen-Boutique in Tokio. It is not really that I think about it, it’s more in my blood than it is in my head I guess. In the case of Tokyo however, there is one trait that permeates everything: density. Can you give us an insight into how you would approach a client like Dries van Noten who you are collaborating with at the moment? At Jardins des Fleurs, the retail shop Azuma operates on a quiet backstreet in Tokyo’s Aoyama district, an unassuming steel staircase at the entrance leads to a completely refrigerated subterranean space more reminiscent of a lab than a florist’s studio. Gasp! Where does this fascination for combining flowers with materials like steel come from? This is very much my approach. You are also doing a lot of client work. It is more about meeting this particular flower with this particular feeling and the fact that I meet this flower in a particular moment, that is what fascinates me and that is why I think I use flowers as my medium of choice. This final icy installation is absolutely stunning, but wait, there’s more! Usually I have a local who accompanies me and shows me around. Er ist ständig dabei, Grenzen zu setzen, um sie dann wieder zu verschieben. Ein Gletscher für den Dialoggarer, eine Wüste für den Backofen, ein See für das Induktionskochfeld und einen Regenwald für den Combi-Dampfgarer. Botanical sculpture is simply something that is produced through my creative work, but it is actually the process of creating a work of art which is made of plants and flowers that have precious lives with short life cycle, and it turns into something like a sculpture by being arranged by a human being. I haven‘t had that for a long time. I went to Mexico recently and I visited UNA – Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico – which is a huge university and they have this Piazza. Eine Treppe höher über der Blumenboutique hat Makoto sein Studio eingerichtet, nennt es „AMKK“ – das japanische Akronym für „Azuma Makoto Botaniklabor“. Photography: Gui Martinez Interview: Antonia Märzhäuser Translation: Saka Matsushita. For more information about current exhibitions and projects please take a look at their website. Not far from Omotesando Dori with its juxtaposition of architectural masterpieces, you will find a place dedicated to the pure beauty of nature: JARDINS des FLEURS. Artists. While the name may evoke romantic associations with Southern France, upon entry it becomes instantly clear that Azuma-san breaks with this notion radically. I do both but I prefer to go with an empty mind and just deal with the situation over there. I was playing in a rock band and I saw a lot of similarities between music and flowers, especially in regards to their temporary qualities. JARDINS des FLEURS is a laboratory filled with objects that you would expect to see next to an operating table rather than a flower bouquet. Many artists work with a variety of materials, they go from oil to ink and so on. Blumeninstallationen – jede einzelne sowohl von der elementaren Technologie des jeweiligen Küchen-Einbaugerätes als von... Did former Japanese punk rocker, Azuma Makoto Today on studio Sunday: Makoto... 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