社団法人 日本グラフィックデザイナー協会 JAGDA

Message from the awardee

When I was in my late teens, a teacher at the art school I was attending took me to see an exhibition of Yusaku Kamekura’s works at the Matsuya Department Store in Ginza. Although at the time I knew that I wanted to become a graphic designer, I had relatively little understanding of what kind of work that entailed, so now, in retrospect, I know that I wasn’t able to understand the high level of Mr. Kamekura’s artistry and design philosophy. However, I certainly did sense the greatness and richness of design and the personality of the designer, and I was quietly excited to think that this was, after all, the kind of work I wanted to try my hand at. The memory of that day has remained with me for a long time, and continuously served to inspire me. In those days, one of my favorite reading materials was Ryuko Tsushin. I would lie on the floor of my bedroom and, again and again, gaze at this magazine whose high level of creativity gave off a special aura. I never dreamed that 20 years later I would become its art director. This was the work for which I have been given the Yusaku Kamekura Design Award, marking another encounter with Mr. Kamekura. Thinking this to be the perfect occasion, I have pored once again through books of his works and re-read his essays. Yusaku Kamekura, who 20 years ago I felt was like a light seen ever so faintly far off in the distance, now seemed to be like a giant tree standing tall immediately before me. Staring up in awe at his brilliantly flourishing greatness, I became quietly excited, once again, to renew my determination to work as a graphic designer.