Flower Art Award in TOKYO MIDTOWN Grand Prix Winner! ASAKO won the Grand Prix at the world flower competition held in France!

Plains Corporation (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Yu Hirano), an art production company, sent Mr. ASAKO (winner of the Flower Art Award 2024 in TOKYO MIDTOWN) as a representative of Japan to the International Art Floral Competition 2024 held in the Loire region, France, from July 8 (Mon.) to 10 (Wed.), 2024. (Winner of the Flower Art Award 2024 in TOKYO MIDTOWN, Japan's representative at the Art Floral International Competition 2024) was sent as a representative of Japan to the Art Floral International Competition 2024 held in the Loire region of France from October 10 (Wed.) to 10 (Wed.), 2012, and won the Grand Prix of the world.

Art Floral International Competition Grand Prix winning work

International Art Floral Competition Award Ceremony

What is "Art Floral International Competition" in France?

The International Art Floral Competition is an international floral competition held during the "Days of Roses" festival held since 1959 in Douai-la-Fontaine (now Douai-en-Ange) in the Loire region, one of the leading rose-growing regions in France. It was established in 1989 as an opportunity to test the potential of young floral artists, and has played an important role as a gateway to the front ranks of the flower industry. During the Rose Day festival, more than 500 varieties of roses are displayed in the grotto, which is open to the public. The competition also contributes greatly to social activities, such as helping handicapped children.

The venue is a cave that was used as the village's cave dwelling until the 19th century. The participants are required to create a large scale giant floral artwork using 1,000 fresh roses in a section of the cave space, which is 7 meters high, 5 meters wide and 5 meters deep, allocated by lottery. This is a high-level international competition that requires floral techniques as well as spatial presentation and structural construction skills. This year's theme is "Roses and the Olympics. Representative teams of four from around the world will participate in the competition, competing in artistic and decorative abilities to create a work of art in two days.

WEB: https://www.journeesdelarose.com/

Art Floral International Competition Poster

The Japanese team led by Mr. ASAKO, the winner of the best work award at Flower Art Award 2024 in TOKYO MIDTOWN, participated in the competition and won the World Grand Prix.

Art Floral International Competition Grand Prix winning work

William Sottile, top florist in France and champion of French florists in 2023, presided over the jury for the International Art Floral Competition 2024.

International Art Floral Competition competitors from different countries awaiting the results.

A large number of visitors at the grotto where the International Art Floral Competition is held

France's Art Floral International Competition 2024 has been renewed and expanded to 11 countries this year. From Japan, Mr. ASAKO, the winner of the best work award at the Flower Art Award 2024 in TOKYO MIDTOWN, represented Japan at the International Art and Floral Competition. For the theme of "Roses and Olympics," Mr. ASAKO created a work with a gold medal as a motif.

He used advanced floral techniques to superimpose 1,000 orange roses of three different types, creating a gradation of depth that is both beautiful and delicate. In addition, he challenged a new expression that no country has yet done in this competition, creating new value by fusing video images and ambient music with floral art. The flower artwork received the highest evaluation from both the technical evaluation by the jury of flower experts and the aesthetic evaluation by the general jury members, and was awarded the World Grand Prix.

Douai & Anjou International Art Floral Competition 2024, France

CONCOURS INTERNATIONAL D'ART FLORAL DE DOUE EN ANJOU 2024

Dates: July 8-10, 2024 (open to the public July 11-14)

Place: Due en Anjou, France

Rank: 1st: Japan, 2nd: Netherlands, 3rd: Ukraine, 4th: Slovenia,

　　　　5th: Belgium, 6th: Lithuania, 7th: Spain, 8th: Estonia,

　　　　9th: Poland, Disqualification: France, Abstention: Italy

International Art Floral Competition 2024 Japan Team

ASAKO (Flower Art Award 2024 in TOKYO MIDTOWN winner), Mina Saeki,

Mina Saeki, Risako Takatsuki, YO

Supporting members: Masahiro Nozaki, Carlus Camps Torner, ISAGEN, Keiji Horibe, Namiko Karmiol, Yamamoto

　　　　　　　　　　Namiko Karmiol, Akiko Yamada

Art Floral International Competition Japan Team (from 3rd left: Saeki, YO, ASAKO, Risako Takatsuki)

WEB: https://www.journeesdelarose.com/2024/07/24/resultats-du-concours-international-dart-floral-2024-sur-le-theme-des-jeux- olympiques/

Comment from ASAKO, the Japanese representative

Created a large floral artwork of 5m in height

International Art Floral Competition, the work was exhibited in a cave space 7m high, 5m wide, and 5m deep.

International Art Floral Competition, production of floral artwork

Thanks to all of you, I was able to win the Grand Prix, and I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. We are very happy that the audience enjoyed the exhibition. The theme of this year's competition was "Roses and the Olympics. We were able to create a floral artwork that delighted the audience by beautifully displaying 1,000 roses. For this year's work, we took on the challenge of bringing a new style to the convention by integrating images, sound, and other new elements. I believe we were able to advance into a new world through great teamwork.

This time, we entered the international competition by referring to the valuable experiences of Flower Art Award in TOKYO MIDTOWN contestant artists who have challenged themselves overseas over the years. The Japanese flower world still does not have many avenues to challenge the world, and I would be more than happy if this award could motivate and help young Japanese floral artists to challenge the world stage in the future.

■Profile

International Art Floral Competition World Grand Prix, Mr. ASAKO

ASAKO / floral artist

ASAKO creates art based on the inherent beauty of flowers. She travels around the world to bring new life to cities with flowers in "machi-katsuke," or town life. She is also active as a teacher of tea ceremony.

In 2022, he will hold a solo exhibition "Moment d'Eclosion" in Paris. As a special invited artist to NOVAFLEUR2022, one of the largest floral conventions in France, he exhibited his work at the entrance of the venue. Exhibited a work at the historic Temps de Flors 2024 in Girona. Represented Japan at the Valencia Regional International Flower Festival 2024 (Certamen de Art Floral interanacional ciudad de Carcaixent). Represented Japan in LEVERANO in Fiore 2024, Italy.

2023 Air France Business Class Japan Promotion, in charge of flower decoration.

In charge of flower decoration for HAPPY YELLOW FLOWER (International Women's Day 2023) at Tokyo Midtown.

2024 Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, New Year Flower Decoration

2024 Tokyo Midtown Yaesu 1st Anniversary Flower Decoration

2019 Grand Prix for the Mayor's Cup of Céré, France

Flower Art Award 2020 in TOKYO MIDTOWN Excellent Prize

Flower Art Showcase Award 2022 in TOKYO MIDTOWN Grand Prix

Flower Art Award 2024 in TOKYO MIDTOWN Grand Prix

CONCOURS INTERNATIONAL D'ART FLORAL DE DOUE EN ANJOU, France (2024) World Grand Prix

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asakoflowers/?hl=ja

About Flower Art Award in TOKYO MIDTOWN

Flower Art Award in TOKYO MIDTOWN is an art competition that has been held for 25 years with the aim of meeting, supporting, and sending to the international stage up-and-coming floral artists who are creating a better tomorrow for a prosperous society through innovative ideas. Since 2010, the competition has been held in the public space of Tokyo Midtown and has attracted much attention, producing many world champions.

The theme of the 2024 event is "Revitalization of the city through flowers," and the high-level floral competition will be held in four categories, including the visual and art flower categories. Visitors to Tokyo Midtown enjoyed magnificent floral decorations by floral artists, timed to coincide with the arrival of spring. The grand prix winners in the two large floral categories were selected to represent Japan in two French competitions, CONCOURS INTERNATIONAL D'ART FLORAL DE DOUE EN ANJOU and CONCOURS FLEURISTES PIVERDIE, and will be active on the world stage.

URL : https://www.flowerartaward.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerartaward/

Flower Art Award 2024 in TOKYO MIDTOWN flyer

Flower Art Award exhibition view

＜Flower Art Award Executive Committee, Plains Inc.

Plains is a planning office specializing in flowers and art. For 25 years, we have held the Flower Art Award in TOKYO MIDTOWN (formerly MERIDIEN CUP), a floral art competition, to meet new talents in floral art and support them in their attempts to enter the world stage. The company develops planning for various large-scale floral decoration projects centering on excellent floral artists found through competitions and other in-house projects. In Japan, we have experience with the opening of Tokyo Midtown Hibiya and its first anniversary, and the opening of Tokyo Midtown Yaesu and its first anniversary, and we are also involved in large-scale overseas floral decoration projects. We have been holding overseas training programs to improve the skills of floral artists for 25 years by utilizing our strong ties with overseas floral artists and schools, and in 2025, we will open Piverdiere Japon, the first Japanese counterpart of Piverdiere, a French government-approved floral education institution. Piverdiere Japon will open in 2025.

Location: UCF501, Ginza Wall Building, 6-13-16 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Representative: Yu Hirano, Representative Director

Establishment: 1999