On October 24, we visited Keita Kawasaki, a floral artist who held a solo exhibition at the Shimadai Gallery in Karasuma-Oike, Kyoto.

Keita Kawasaki is an artist who is leading the contemporary floral design world by continuously presenting innovative works that break the mold of conventional floral design in the media and at exhibitions.

Today’s exhibition, titled “Flowers Have Evolved This Far,” also features kimonos created in collaboration with Kyoto’s hand-painted Kyoyuzen. It is an exhibition that showcases the breadth of Keita Kawasaki’s artistic expression, which transcends the world of floral design.

He also serves as the director of the “Mami Flower Design School,” where he trains the next generation of designers. The school’s former building was designed by Taro Okamoto, and its design—which defies conventional wisdom—is truly remarkable and remains a topic of conversation to this day.

Since there are very few people left who have met the real Nama-Taro (Taro-san when he was alive), Shiozawa had been looking forward to meeting Mr. Keita Kawasaki for quite some time.

Shiozawa: “When the building was about to be demolished back then, how did Taro Okamoto react?”

Keita: “Of course, since it was such a significant work, I approached him very cautiously to ask for his opinion, but Taro said, ‘Art is an explosion,’ so ‘Just tear the thing down!’”

Keita’s wife, Roman Kawasaki, Shiozawa, and all of us burst out laughing, saying, “That’s so typical of Taro Okamoto!”

Keita Kawasaki’s work ranges from bold spatial installations—which could be described as contemporary art—to delicate sculptural pieces.

In this artwork, which features photographs of fresh flowers projected onto a gold folding screen, masterfully brings out the essence of the flowers’ beauty, making them appear as if they were alive. The artist arranges the shapes and colors of various flowers with a keen sensibility, creating a composition that resembles a painting and draws viewers into the mysterious world of floral beauty.

We spent a pleasant time introducing each other to our respective artistic endeavors. We told them that we would be delighted if we could arrange an opportunity for Mr. and Mrs. Kawasaki to see Shiozawa’s work next time.