Azuma Makoto has been in the flower business since 2002, and is an owner of the haute-couture floral shop, “JARDINS des FLEURS” in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo. In addition to the flower shop business, Azuma began to explore the expressive potential of flowers and plants in 2005. He invented the genre of the ”Botanical sculpture,” which is one of his formative expressions. Following a solo exhibition in New York, his audacious works have been repeatedly shown in Europe and the U.S. While launching the experimental botanical lab AMKK in 2009, he went on to exhibit his works at art museums, galleries, and public spaces all over the world. In recent years, Azuma has been focusing on projects that explore the connections between human beings and flowers. He continues to pursue the beauty of plants from his distinctive point of view. Check his Instagram

3 words to describe Nature?

God. Origin of Life. Womb

3 things Nature taught you?

Awe*

Coexistence

Cycle (Cycle of life) 

*Awe refers to a feeling a person has when he/she is in fear of something which is much bigger than himself/herself and he/she can’t compete with, such as God, nature and the universe.

3 most treasured Nature spots?

Amazon (Belém in Amazon)

Yakushima Island

Xishuangbanna

When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?

A swell

When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?

A breath

When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?

A beat

When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?

Hope and despair

When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?

Fear and excitement

When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?

Peace of mind and presence

Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?

Mountain

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?

10

Share with us a childhood nature memory?

When I was little, I used to play at the mountain called “Miyajidake Mountain” which was located behind my home until sunset. The lessons I learned from this experience have become such precious time for me. I am so happy that I could spend my childhood with this experience where I was able to perceive not only sensibility and instinct as a human being but also my view of life and death* and my view of life as something transient and empty** through nature.

There is no doubt that this childhood experience has a great influence on how I make my living now by interacting with flowers and plants.

*one’s view of life and death means a point of view which a person bases off of when he/she makes a decision and takes action about the acts of living and dying. It is a way of thinking regarding life and death.

**a view of life as something transient and empty means a mindset that everything is impermanence.