Makoto Azuma

is a Japanese flower artist, botanical sculptor, and co-founder of JARDINS des FLEURS.

Biography

Born in Fukuoka Prefecture, Azuma moved to Tokyo in 1997 to pursue his dream of becoming a rock musician. Around this time he took a job as a trader in the Ota Market, one of Japan's largest flower and produce markets. He cites his job at the Ota Market as the inspiration for pursuing a career in flowers. With his interest in ornamental flowers piqued, he then took a job managing a flower shop in Azabu-Jūban in 1999. He partnered with photographer Shiinoki Shunsuketo to open the flower shop. Around 2005 Azuma began to explore a new form of floral design that he called botanical sculpture, the work for which he is now known.

Career

2016 Sep 28 - Stage Collaboration with Dries Van Noten 2017 S/S Women's collection, using original artwork "Iced Flowers" Sep 20-25 - Installation, "Botanical sculpture" for FUJIFILM's booth at Photokina, Cologne, Germany Aug 27 - Sep 25 - Art Installation, "Drop Time" at the Mass in Jingumae, Tokyo Jun 21 - Art Installation, "Burning Flowers" at an Old Rock Quarry Site in Tochigi, Japan May 16–29 – Art Collaboration, “FENDI FLOWERLAND” at Selfridges & Co, London Apr 9-10 – Exhibition, Botanical Sculpture #6 Dynamite at AMFC, Tokyo Apr – Botanical installation live, “PALM TREE x ALGIERS” Mar 25 - Apr 17 – Art Collaboration, “FENDI FLOWERLAND” at FENDI GINZA, Tokyo Mar 17 – May 9 – Exhibition, Human l Nature curated by Andrew Zuckerman #5 capsule at CHAMBER, NYC Mar 9-15 – Art Collaboration, “FENDI FLOWERLAND” at Isetan Shinjuku, Tokyo Feb 19-21 – Exhibition, “Botanical Sculpture Polypore” at AMFC, Tokyo Jan 25-30 – Art installation, “PETAL BOX” at Colette, Paris 2015 Dec – Art direction, “Flower Universe” for Planetarium at Haneda international airport, Tokyo Nov – Installation, “Fur Tree” for FENDI Ginza pop-up store, Tokyo Nov – Exhibition, “Azuma Makoto Exposition”, Lambersart, France Nov – Installation for Christmas table of Royal Copenhagen “Silent forest”, Tokyo Oct – Exhibition, ”Shiki : Landscape and Beyond”, Dallas Oct – Art product, “Paludarium OSAMU” in CHAMBER NYC, NY Sep – Art/Visual direction, Book of Pierre Herme ”SATINE” Jul – Exhibition, “Blue Flower Rebellion”, Saga Mar – Publication, “ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FLOWERS ll” released from Seigensha Feb 13 – Art project “DAGAT & BULAKLAK”, in Philippines Jan 10-11 – Exhibition, “ICED FLOWERS”, Saitama 2014 Jul – Art project “EXOBIOTANICA”, in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada Jul – Popup shop “Floral shop AMKK” at the POOL aoyama, Minamiaoyama, Tokyo Jun – Publication, “Flower Method Azuma Makoto” released from Bijutsu Shuppan Jun – Installation of the entire floor for the opening ceremony at Toranomon Hills, Tokyo May – Botanical Installation x live concert “The Lost Eden” for Dragon-i, Hong Kong Apr – Special installation for Salvatore Ferragamo, at Isetan Shinjuku, Tokyo Mar – Stage design for NHK Special 4 nights series “Adventure of Human body, the microscopic world” Mar – Installation for the renewal opening of the fifth floor at Isetan Shinjuku, Tokyo Mar – Second installment of Installation live “shiki x hakata cycos”, at the ex-pit for Ōya stone, Tochigi Mar – Collaboration work with artist, Aya Takano “Shuen no mori, soshite hajimari (Forest of the end, and the beginning)” at Kaikaikiki Gallery, Motoazabu, Tokyo Mar – Flower visual work for Dries van Noten “Inspirations” exhibition at Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris Jan – Permanent exhibition of “Timeless pine” for an entrance of the office in Roppongi, Tokyo 2013 Dec – Installation, “The world’s smallest ice skate link” (in forest), Maison Hermès, Ginza Dec – Ongoing installation for 6 months “Botanical Sculpture#6 Dance”, Hotel entrance, Shinjuku, Tokyo Nov – 30th anniversary installation, “Bottle Flower tree”, Imperial Hotel, Tokyo Oct – Public art installation, art fair “Abierto Mexicano Dedisano”, Mexico Sep – Flower installation, Pierre Herme Paris new collection presentation, Tokyo Sep – Flower installation, Pierre Herme Paris new collection presentation, Hong Kong Aug – Botanical installation, “Botanical Ashtray”, Daikanyama T-SITE, Tokyo Aug – 1st permanent botanical installation, “Cocoon”, Fukushimameisei High School, Fukushima May −Botanical installation live “shiki×Naturopolis-Tokyo”, live house, Roppongi, Tokyo May – Flower installation for the special party at Galerie Perrotin, Hong Kong Apr – Exhibition in collaboration with the jewelry brand BOUCHERON, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Apr – Vegetation and design objet chief director, Roppongi Hills 10th anniversary decoration, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Mar – Installation “Collapsible leaves”, Isetan Shinjuku Grand Opening, entire floor, Mar – Art exhibition “Paludarium Shigelu”, Broached Gallery, Melbourne, Australia Mar – Vegetation director, “HOUSE VISION 2013 Tokyo Exhibition”, Aomi, Tokyo Mar – Publication, “Flower and I”(Kyuryudo) released Nov – Window display “Toki no niwa – Jardin du Temps –“, Maison Hermès, Ginza, Tokyo 2012 Oct – Released compilation book “Encyclopedia of Flowers” English version (Lars Müller Publishers). Sep – Art Exhibition as a part of Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Florale Edition launch for a month, São Paulo, Brazil Aug – Installation live “shiki-toe” at a warehouse in Kiba, Tokyo Jul – Released compilation book “Encyclopedia of Flowers” (Seigensha). Jul – Collaboration, “Belle Epoque Florale Edition” with Perrier-Jouët Apr – Art Exhibition, Original artwork of “LADY DIOR AS SEEN BY”, Ginza, Tokyo Apr – Art Exhibition at “Luminale2012”, Frankfurt, Germany Mar 11 – Apr 15 – Art Exhibition, “Time of moss” at “DESIGNING DESIGN“, Zendai Contemporary Art Space, Shanghai Feb – Creative Director, SUNTORY Midorie (Urban ecological development project) 2011 Nov - Stage production, live performance “Hana to Mizu” (Naruyoshi Kikuchi & Hiroshi Minami) Tokyo Nov – Publication, “2009 – 2011 Flowers” collection of artwork book released, Tokyo Oct – Art Installation, Cassina ixc. (Interior) Aoyama, Tokyo Oct – Art collaboration, fashion brand HELMUT LANG featuring “MAKOTO AZUMA#2”, Tokyo Oct – Art Exhibition, “Collapsible leaves” at gallery GYRE EYE OF GYRE, Tokyo Aug – Art Exhibition, “Botanical Sculpture #3 lump” at gallery void+, Tokyo Jun – Art Exhibition, “Time of moss” at Beijing Center for the Arts, China May – Art video work, “Drop time” May – Art collaboration, fashion brand HELMUT LANG featuring “MAKOTO AZUMA”, Tokyo Feb – Art Exhibition, ”shiki × bulb” at Triennale Design Museum, Milan 2010 Dec – Art Exhibition, ”shiki × bulb” at IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT SPACE, Tokyo Nov – Art Exhibition, ”Alter Nature” at art center Z33, Belgium Aug – Art Production, Landscape Design at boutique Valveat81, Tokyo. Aug – Art Exhibition, “Frozen Flower” at gallery void+, Tokyo. Aug – Launched Azuma Makoto Gardening Club Jul – Art Production, ”BOTANICA ” mobile concept, KDDI (mobile communication), Tokyo Jun – Art Exhibition, ”TOKYO FIBER SENSEWARE” at Design Museum Holon, Israel May – Art Exhibition, ”Shiki1”, at Shanghai EXPO Japan industrial pavilion, Shanghai Apr – Publication, monthly free paper “AMNP: Azuma Makoto News Paper” Mar – Art Produce, ”Fashion In Nature“ at Galerie Michel Rein, Paris Feb – Art Exhibition, “armored pine” at POLA Museum Annex, Tokyo Feb – Art Installation, “Botanical Signboard” (advertisement) at MAZDA Zoom-Zoom stadium, Hiroshima 2009 Dec – Art Exhibition, “Bridge of Plants” at ARK Hills, Tokyo Oct – Art Production & Exhibition, produced flower vase “hand vase”, Tokyo Oct – Art Exhibition, “adidas Originals ” (fashion/sports collaboration), Tokyo Sep – Art Exhibition, “TOKYO FIBER ’09 SENSEWARE” at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, Tokyo Jul – Plants Installation, “Naoshima Sento I♥Yu”, at Naoshima public bath, Kagawa May – Art Exhibition, “Daido Moriyama ‘Kiroku” on the road collaboration with 8 creators”, Tokyo May – Art Exhibition, “Distortion × Flowers” GYRE EYE OF GYRE, Tokyo Apr – Art Exhibition, “TOKYO FIBER ’09 SENSEWARE”, Triennale Design Museum, Milano Mar – Art Exhibition, ”Azuma Makoto ’AMPG vol.25’” at Gallery Mitsubishi Artium (IMS), Fukuoka 2008 Oct – Art Exhibition, “2nd nature” at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, Tokyo Jul – Art Exhibition, “BOTANICA(×)” at NRW Forum, Germany 2007 Apr – Art Exhibition, ”SHIRO NO KI” at Maison Martin Margiera, Tokyo Apr – Art Exhibition, opened private gallery “AMPG” for two years in Tokyo 2006 Nov – Art Performance, “Kehai” for ”Les Soirees Nomades” (Cartier), Paris Mar – Art Exhibition at gallery Mitsubishi-Jisho Artium (IMS), Fukuoka 2005 Dec – Art Exhibition at Sony building in Ginza, Tokyo Dec – Art Exhibition, Christmas window display at popular select shop, colette in Paris Nov – Art Exhibition, first collection outside Japan in Tribeca, New York

Selected works

Polypore, February 2016 Iced Flowers, January 2015 Exobiotanica, July 2014