Encyclopedia of Flowers V

The “Botanical Illustrated Book” series, a lifework of Makoto Azuma and Shunsuke Shiiki, has been a two-year cycle of volumes, and this is the fifth volume in the series. This book contains 114 works produced from fall 2019 to August 2021. This period coincided with the historic pandemic, and the two artists continued to ask themselves what they could do for the people during this time and continued to arrange flowers. It was during this time that they came across a book that chronicled the roots of traditional Japanese ikebana. In the book, they found the monks who gave flowers to the many lives lost in the famine, provided porridge and shelter from the wind and rain to the starving people, and revived the hearts of the people by arranging flowers. The power of awakening, that is the essence of flower arranging. This book contains a wish for the awakening of the heart, even in the midst of a time of suffering.

Makoto Azuma Flower artist. Starting with a solo exhibition in New York, he has exhibited many experimental works mainly in Europe. In 2009, he established the experimental plant group “Azuma Makoto, Flower and Tree Laboratory (AMKK),” and has been exhibiting his works around the world. He continues to pursue the beauty of plants from his unique perspective.

Shunsuke Shiinoki Botanical photographer. Around the same time that Azuma began expressing himself in the form of plants, he picked up a camera and became interested in capturing the ever-changing forms of life in photographs.