Kazuki Saeki at work in his studio / Photo: Azukari
Azukari has one partner artist today. Our first, Kazuki Saeki. We have now begun looking for the second artist to follow him.
It started with a single request from a prospective owner. And the map of our search is now turning toward Gunma.
Why a Second Artist
For Azukari, adding an artist is not the same as adding trees. It means adding a pair of hands that will hold a single tree across many years and keep tending it.
In our model, a tree is not sold and forgotten. Even after an owner is found, the tree stays in the artist's care, tended day by day, growing older season by season. So welcoming one artist means beginning one relationship that will continue for years to come. That is why we choose carefully, and slowly.
One Prospective Owner, One Request
This search began with something clear and specific.
A prospective owner wrote to us about a tree they hoped to one day meet. We will not say who they are, or where in the world they are from. Nothing is settled yet. But that one message put a question to us.
Is there an artist already at Azukari who could shape that tree?
The honest answer was: not yet. And so we look. The request came first, and we went out to find the hands that could answer it. That was the order of things this time.
Toward Gunma
And now, our search is turning toward Gunma. Our destination is Akagi.
In Akagi, there is an artist who has long kept growing the bonsai species most widely cultivated in Japan. We are going to meet them next Saturday, June 20.
What will begin from that meeting, we do not yet know. But just as we did with our first artist, we will tell you here. Slowly.
Frequently asked questions
Has the second artist already been decided? No, not yet. Next Saturday, June 20, we are visiting an artist we hope to work with, in Akagi, Gunma. Whether it comes together will follow from there, but it begins with meeting in person. Who is the prospective owner behind this? We are not disclosing their name or background. Is Azukari planning to add artists rapidly from here? We are not chasing numbers. Our intention is to welcome hands that can hold a tree for the long term, one at a time, confirming the relationship as we go.