The botanic artist Makoto Azuma is trying to change the way we look at flowers. His latest exhibition, Iced Flowers, offers a distinctive look at the changed life cycles of flower bouquets that have been encased in blocks of ice.
He’s used water and the stratosphere as backdrops for his exotic flower arrangements but now he’s experimenting with ice. Located in a warehouse two hours northwest of Tokyo, the spectacular exhibition consists of 16 frozen floral arrangements displayed in rows throughout the space. The exhibit titled “Iced Flowers”, explores the ephemeral and fleeting nature of beauty. The flowers, which are temporarily frozen in time, will eventually wither and die as they thaw out. Azuma locks floral bouquets in large blocks of ice and displays them like pillars. Placed in an inorganic chamber, the “flowers will show unique expressions that they do not display in everyday life,” says Azuma. The installation, held last week in Japan, was temporary by nature but the artist made sure to preserve the images.
