Makoto Azuma (東 信, Azuma Makoto, born July 24, 1976) is a Japanese flower artist, botanical sculptor, and co-founder of JARDINS des FLEURS.^[1]

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.^[2] He cites his job at the Ota Market as the inspiration for pursuing a career in flowers.^[3] With his interest in ornamental flowers piqued, he then took a job managing a flower shop in Azabu-Jūban in 1999.^[3]

Azuma began his career as a flower artist in 2002 with the opening of the flower shop JARDINS des FLEURS.^[4] 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.^[5]

Career

^[6]

• 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
  • Jul − “Encyclopedia of Flowers” selected for ”50BOOKS 50COVERS” at design competition in the United States
  • 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 ^[7]
• Iced Flowers, January 2015 ^[8]
• Exobiotanica, July 2014^[9]