The 11th “1_WALL” Graphics Exhibition is part of an open competition for the right to mount a solo show at Guardian Garden. The exhibition will feature works by six finalists after two rounds of judging: the first round focusing on all entrants’ portfolios, and the second round consisting of one-on-one discussions between the graphic designers selected in the initial round and the judges. Each finalist is allocated one wall on which to show his or her works.
The final round of judging will take place on October 8 (Wed), i.e. while the exhibition is in progress. During this round, which is open to the public, the six finalists will each give a presentation of his or her works, based on which the judges will select the Grand Prix winner. The winner’s prize is the privilege of holding a solo show at the gallery one year later, plus the right to prepare an exhibition pamphlet.
The eleventh exhibition in this series brings together a colorful array of works by the six finalists: kitsch and abundantly humorous portraits drawn by tracing the same human image over and over again; drawings of fuzzy images, before becoming words, made from simple lines like balloons and bubbles; everyday items and people depicted in fine detail by scraping away, by needle, paint rubbed onto plaster or a ceramic board; etc.
The 6 Finalists
*At the open round of final judging on October 8, Akane Nakajima was selected as the Grand Prix winner.
Yuma Kawano
Born in 1987. Graduated from Kyoto University of Art and Design, Department of Information Design, Photography Course.
“grab all of me”
I want to give visual form to what I’m feeling now, at this instant.
To do that is to draw “a human” as I am.
Midori Susi
Born in 1987. Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Japanese Painting Course.
“portrait”
I mainly create pictures of people.
The portraits I made for this are drawings of people that I created using everything I can use.
The results were good, so please have a look.
Naho Taoka
Born in 1993. Currently a third-year student at Musashino Art University majoring in Oil Painting.
“satisfied man”
Connecting pen strokes, I await when my thoughts will appear.
I want to draw lines that can extend beyond my pictures.
Masatoshi Tabuchi
Born in 1983. Graduated from Graphic Design at Tama Art University.
“stripe”
How a shirt pattern is connected to a complete form
can be known only by making careful observation.
＊Grand Prize Winner＊
Akane Nakajima
Born in 1992. Currently a fourth-year student at Musashino Art University, College of Art and Design,
majoring in Visual Communication Design.
“Take a deep breath, and then let’s talk”
What’s always there
is “something,” not words,
that inhales, exhales, floats.
Unseen by anyone, grow huge like cumulonimbus clouds
Tomomi Yamakawa
Born in 1993. Currently a third-year student in the Department of Information Design at Kyoto University of Art & Design.
“such-and-such prize”
What I think of as anti-illustration. It’s my personal style of non-fiction.
Education Kyoto University of Art and Design, Information Design.
“Creation as a vehicle to understa...
Naho Taoka
Born in 1993. Currently a third-year student at Musashino Art University majoring in Oil Painting.
Akane Nakajima
Born in 1992.
2014 grand prize for the 11th graphics “1_Wall” competition, Guardian garden gallery
2015 graduated from Musashino Art University, Collage of Art and Design, Dept. of Visual communication design.
Born in 1993. Currently a third-year student in the Department of Information Design at Kyoto Univer...
Judges (in Japanese syllabary order)
Koji Iyama（Art director, Graphic designer）
Art director and graphic designer born in 1967. Graduated from Tama Art University with a concentration in Graphic Design. After working at Nippon Design Center, he established Iyama Design. His major clients include Shueisha Inc. (“Natsu Ichi”), Kamoi Kakoshi Co., Ltd. (“mt”) and The Institute of Medical Science of The University of Tokyo. Among the many awards he has won to date are the JAGDA New Designer Award, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity Gold Lion, SPIKES ASIA Grand Prix, New York ADC Gold Award, CLIO Gold Award and Japan Sign Design Association (SDA) Award First Prize.
Daijiro Ohara（Graphic designer）
Graphic designer born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1978. In 2003, upon graduating from Musashino Art University with a concentration in Basic Design, he established omomma. In addition to undertaking design work and video production, through exhibitions, workshops, performance, etc. he undertakes numerous projects probing new perceptions in language and the written word. In 2014 he won a JAGDA New Designer Award and Tokyo TDC Award. http://omomma.in/ (Japanese only)
Jun Tsuzuki（Illustrator）
Illustrator born in Tokyo in 1962. A graduate of Musashino Art University, between the 1980s and into the new millennium he garnered numerous awards in graphics competitions and for his contributions to advertising. In 2010 he mounted the exhibition “New Eidos,” followed in 2013 by “Jun Tsuzuki x Hideki Nakazawa.” In 2015 he held a lecture on “After New Eidos / An Investigation of 1980-2000.” He supervised and contributed to “Nihon Irasutore-shonshi” [A History of Japanese Illustration]. He also supervises and appears on NHK’s “Art 1” program for high school students.jti.ne.jp
Kuniko Nagasaki（Illustrator）
Illustrator born in Tokyo in 1970. After graduating from Tama Art University, where she majored in Textile Design, she became active in diverse areas including: as an illustrator, providing cover art and illustrations for books; writing essays relating to the cinema; and creating manga. She also serves as Associate Professor in the Visual Design program of Joshibi University of Art and Design.
Kiyonori Muroga（Editor）
Kiyonori Muroga was born in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, in 1975. Since 1999 he has performed editorial work mainly in planning related to graphic design, typography and visual culture. He also is engaged, internationally, in critique, lecturing and exhibition planning concerning those genres. Mr. Muroga formerly served as editor-in-chief of “IDEA” magazine. In recent years, he has been in charge of books such as The Next Form of Lettering Designs in Japan and Noritake’s WORKS. He is editor-in-chief of JAGDA’s “The Graphic Design Review” website.
Organizer: Guardian Garden
