Message from the awardee
I once had the occasion to watch Yusaku Kamekura at work during his senior years. Using a large loupe, he was meticulously comparing the galley proofs of his Creation magazine against the original slide films.
The particular item at hand was an old poster by a featured designer. The film was already discolored and in tatters, but the galley proof was a vivid reproduction in the original coloring. Where the original lettering was unclear, Mr. Kamekura had recreated it from scratch, with the result that his task transcended the realm of editorial layout and encompassed restoration and reproduction. Seeing the intensity of his concentration, I was moved by Mr. Kamekura’s passion and tenacity, traits separate from his sublime greatness as a poster artist himself.
While I am dazed to follow in the footsteps of Ikko Tanaka and Kazumasa Nagai in receiving the Yusaku Kamekura Design Award, if this award is meant to reflect the rich, multifaceted diversity of Mr. Kamekura, then perhaps I can make a contribution to that ongoing goal.
Paper and Design, the work for which I have received this award, was created in conjunction with the centennial anniversary of Takeo’s operations in the paper business. The project consisted of an exhibition demonstrating 50 years of collaboration between paper and design, complemented by the publication of a book to serve as a lasting record. As the project was one to which I devoted myself wholeheartedly, I am especially pleased to have won this award in acknowledgment thereof.
Kenya Hara
Born in 1958. Graduated from Musashino Art University, and studied design theory in the same institution’s graduate program. After tenure at Eiko Ishioka Design Studio, joined Nippon Design Center in 1983. In 1992, founded Hara Design Research Institute within that organization. In 1998, he designed the programs for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Nagano Olympics; in 1999, created a poster for EXPO 2005 AICHI; and in 2000, he participated in “RE DESIGN,” a project encompassing an exhibition and publications, as well as “Paper and Design”; he also was in charge of VI planning for the Mori Art Center. Among the many awards he has garnered to date are the Kodansha Prize for Book Design, the Japan International Design Forum Award, Tokyo ADC Award, Memorial Prize of Hiromu Hara, Grand Prize at the Biennale of International Industrial, and the Mainichi Design Award.
(As of June 2001)
Book containing the design: Graphic Design in Japan 2001
