Azuma Makoto
The ephemeral beauty of nature
"I have a deep connection to flowers. I always keep in touch with them whether it's at my studio in Tokyo or during my travels."
-Azuma Makoto, world-renowned artist
Artist in the world
While Makoto's exclusive flower boutique in Tokyo is the epicenter of his creative experimentation, he also travels the world exhibiting, performing, and discovering new kinds of flowers and plants. He is continually identifying limits only to surpass them, in the hope of creating something that truly touches people.
Makoto's art originates from "Ikebana," the traditional Japanese art of arranging flowers. Placing flowers in exactly the right place and communicating with them during the process leads Makoto into a meditative state. In these moments, he is completely at peace and his creativity flows freely. The ice sculptures created for Miele provide this experience to viewers, locked in the ice and locked in the time.
Son of a chef
As the son of a chef, Makoto would often observe his father at work and developed a great respect and enthusiasm for the profession. "Cooking is great art, which is similar to creating art with flowers. In both crafts you choose, arrange, and control natural materials – all while considering how this may stimulate others." Both artists and chefs know that for truly excellent results, one needs the best tools.
"I watched the chefs and was impressed by their wonderful craftsmanship. How could they create so many different expressions in only one dish?"
Tools you can trust
For limitless creativity
When you ask Makoto about his artistic methods, he will inevitably begin to speak about scissors. He believes that if you want to achieve anything great, you must have the tools that you can trust, that are an extension of you, that allow you to control every detail. For him, being able to precisely cut the flowers is one of his secrets to creating his works of art.
"It's important to create convenience, but also to enrich people's minds."
Four floral installations
Makoto created four different floral installations for Miele – each is inspired by the ground-breaking technology at the heart of a Miele appliance – telling their stories through natural landscapes. A glacier for the Dialog Oven, a desert for the Oven, a lake for the Hob, and a rainforest for the Combi Steam Oven. Makoto's creations combine color and texture into worlds unimaginable without seeing and experiencing them. Each one is an invitation to experience new levels of craftsmanship, design and performance.
