社団法人 日本グラフィックデザイナー協会 JAGDA

Message from the awardee

The “Yusaku Kamekura Design Award” is given to the graphic designer who has been most active in the field and created the most outstanding works of the past year. For any person, in any profession and at any age, there could be no greater joy and honor than to receive recognition for his or her current works.
Frankly, however, I wonder if I am fit to win this award. One factor is my age. Designer are often said to be “ageless,” and I would tend to agree. But even if a person maintains fresh artistic sensitivity and continues to improve his technical skills, he remains a product of his years. Some awards are granted for past achievements, others as encouragement to future potential. I hope the Yusaku Kamekura Design Award fits the latter description.
The selection process began with the singling out of roughly a dozen especially outstanding works among all entries submitted for inclusion in Graphic Design in Japan. In the event, most of the best works were those created by the members of the jury themselves. This result is probably inevitable in the realm of design since judge are usually chosen from among the most vibrant designers of the day. In order to avoid “cronyism,” inject greater objectivity into the judging process and ensure the award’s universal acceptance, three guest judge, all well-versed in design in design, were invited to join the panel.
Only a few months before he passed away, I had dinner with Mr. Kamekura. He spoke enthusiastically of the need for graphic designers, both in Japan and abroad, to expand their horizons beyond graphics alone. This stance was implemented quite clearly in Creation, the magazine which he edited so passionately in his later years. In the future the award in his name should be given in consideration of three points: growth potential, transcendence beyond any segmented scope, and global perspective. Perhaps I should add one more criterion: conscious sensitivity to the problems besetting the times.