The Japan Graphic Designers Association Inc. (JAGDA), established in 1978, is Japan’s largest design organization, its membership currently standing at some 2,500 designers. JAGDA undertakes a wide variety of activities aimed at enhancing our lives and culture through design. These include organization of exhibitions and seminars, and publication of works such as the JAGDA yearbook Graphic Design in Japan (formerly, JAGDA Annual) and VISUAL DESIGN, a textbook on design.
Each year, from among the works selected for inclusion in Graphic Design in Japan JAGDA presents the “JAGDA New Designer Awards” to promising young designers (up to age 39) who have produced high-quality works of outstanding freshness. To date the awards have been bestowed on 75 designers, all now active at the very forefront of their profession, including: Kaoru Kasai, Makoto Saito, Kenya Hara, Takuya Onuki, Taku Satoh, Yoshie Watanabe, Kazufumi Nagai, Kashiwa Sato, Kazunari Hattori, Manabu Mizuno, Chie Morimoto and Atsuki Kikuchi. Today the JAGDA New Designer Awards and the award winners garner much attention among members of both the design and advertising fields.
This year, after a rigorous selection process evaluating 194 eligible candidates, the 26th JAGDA New Designer Awards were presented to Ken Okamuro, Koichi Kosugi, Naoko Fukuoka and Katsura Marubashi. This exhibition will introduce their winning and recent works, with a focus on posters and small graphics.
Ken Okamuro
Left & center: Kindergarten learning tools (client: Nakayoshi Kindergarten)
Right: “Dragonflies” to be exhibited at show mounted by paper trading company (client: Takeo Co., Ltd.)
Koichi Kosugi
Left: Graphic tools for dining bar (client: Ajito Wonderdining)
Center: Posters for cake shop (client: CAKE K)
Right: Posters for fashion brand (client: ECYN)
Naoko Fukuoka
Left: Beverage packaging (client: Kirin Beverage)
Center: Commercial greeting card (client: D-BROS)
Right: VI and promotional tools for beauty salon (client: GLAMOUR)
Katsura Marubashi
Left: Outdoor advertising for haircare products (client: Shiseido)
Center: Window display (client: Shiseido)
Right: Posters of Manhattan and Paris (independently produced)
Ken Okamuro was born in Tokyo in 1978. After completing a Master’s Degree in Design from Tokyo University of the Arts in 2006, he joined Hakuhodo. Among the many prizes he has garnered are: Tokyo ADC Award, 2008 JAGDA New Designer Award, JAGDA Award, Tokyo Type Directors (TDC) Second Prize, etc. In his quest to expand the possibilities of paper, Okamuro creates innovative products incorporating new technologies. He also develops new media and actively undertakes work beyond advertising design.
Koichi Kosugi joined Hakuhodo after graduating from Musashino Art University. At Hakuhodo he works as a creative director and art director, engaging in a broad spectrum that includes branding, events, spatial design, art direction of technologically innovative forms of advertising, collaboration with apparel brands, etc. Kosugi’s work is the subject of Vol. 2 of “Hakuhodo Art Directors Works & Styles” series. His awards received to date include: Tokyo ADC Award, JAGDA New Designer Award, ACC Award, Cannes Lions Gold Award, D&AD, ONESHOW, Galaxy Award, ADFEST Grand Prix, Busan International Advertising Festival Grand Prix, JR Poster Grand Prix Highest Award, Asahi Newspaper Advertising Runner-up Award, Fuji Sankei Group Advertising Outstanding Award, etc.
Naoko Fukuoka is a graphic designer. In 2010 she established her own company, woolen, and began creative work focused on graphic design. She has won a JAGDA New Designer Award, JAGDA Award for Package Design, Tokyo ADC Award, Japan Package Design Gold Award, and TOPAWARDS ASIA (April/August 2017), and was nominated for a Tokyo TDC Award. She founded woolen press in 2014.
Katsura Marubashi was born in Gunma Prefecture in 1972. After graduating from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music with a degree in Design, he joined Shiseido in 1998. During his career, in addition to the JAGDA New Designer Award he has also received the following awards: Tokyo ADC Award, Display Industry Encouragement Award, Display Design Outstanding Award, Fuji Sankei Media Mix Grand Prize (Outstanding Award), Mainichi Design Award (Outstanding Award).
Exhibition Profile
The exhibition will feature the four winners’ award-winning and recent works, with a focus on their posters, small graphics and videos.
Awards Ceremony
June 14 (Sat), 2008 in Osaka, at JAGDA’s 25th regular annual general meeting (2008)
Traveling Exhibition
The exhibition will travel to PAPER VOICE (Heiwa Paper Co., Ltd.) in Osaka from July 9 (Wed) through 17 (Thu), 2008. After that, it is slated to travel to Shiga (Seian University of Art and Design), Niigata (The Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art) and Fukuoka (Nishinippon Institute of Technology).
Publication Featuring the Award-Winning Works
The award-winning works will be featured in the opening pages of Graphic Design in Japan 2008, slated for publication in June. This annually produced collection of JAGDA members’ works was launched in 1981 to introduce Japan’s multitude of high-quality graphic design works worldwide. It contains outstanding works created by JAGDA members during the preceding year, selected in an open call for entries. (Publisher: Rikuyosha Co., Ltd. / Price: JPY 15,750, tax included)
Related Event
●Commemorative Exhibition: “Graphic Design in Japan 2008”
●DATES:June 20 (Fri) – July 21 (Mon／Hol), 2008
●HOURS:11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Open daily. Admission free.
●Venue:Tokyo Midtown Design Hub
5F Midtown Tower, 9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 03-6743-3776 https://designhub.jp/en/
●Planning & Operation:Japan Graphic Designers Association Inc.
●Exhibition profile:Approx. 300 works and videos featured in Graphic Design in Japan 2008, including winners of the 2008 JAGDA New Designer Awards.
Organizer
Creation Gallery G8
Co-organizer
Japan Graphic Designers Association Inc. (JAGDA)
Support
KOA-SHA Co., Ltd., FUJIFILM Imaging Systems Co., Ltd., Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd., Kirin Beverage Co., Ltd.
Cooperation
Nikko Process Corporation, AOI Advertising Promotion Inc., Aoi Digital Creation Inc., Takeo Co., Ltd.
