Results of First Japanese Traditional Culture Grand Prix Announced

09.September.2021 | FASHION / Uncategorized

With 130 entries submitted from all parts of Japan, the 8 winners of the first Japanese Traditional Culture Grand Prix have finally been announced. The contest was spearheaded by the Japan Traditional Culture Promotion Project, established in May 2020 as a collaborative effort among companies, associations, and local governments to establish a sustainable framework for the continued development of Japanese traditional culture.

 

Grand Prix Winner: Nakagawa Woodcrafts Hira Studio “Wave” series (left) “YORISIRO” series (right)

 

The winner of the top prize was Nakagawa Woodcrafts Hira Studio, in which the craftsmen still use a 700-year-old technique to create their famous wooden buckets. These buckets, once used for storing rice and miso, are still used today for a variety of different purposes, from bathing to cooling champagne! In stepping away from their typical works, the Nakagawa Woodcrafts studio created the more freeform “Wave” series, and the name surely fits–each bucket looks too free to have been manmade. The “YORISIRO” series, rather, keeps the natural curvature of the wood. Both are signature pieces of traditional Japanese artisanal culture.

 

 

Runner-up: Cubism in Calligraphy “Natural Stance,” Atelier Sisyu, Sisyu

 

 

Excellent Award: Kyo Braided Cords Sanjiku-Kumiori “Kujaku Kouki,” Saiko Ltd., Koichiro Murokado

 

 

Excellent Award: Structured System “Kumiko Endurance Wall,” Tosa Kumiko Co., Daisuke Iwamoto

 

Excellence Award: Porcelain “Yuragi” Hiroshi Taruta

 

Excellence Award: Lacquer Art “Tataeru” Shinsuke Aoki. 

 

 

Excellent Student Award: Picture Frame “KOZAI” Ryohei Nomura. 

 

 

Special Award: Rinku, a group of young female craftswomen from the Toukai region

 

The Japan Traditional Culture Promotion Project began this contest as a way to honor outstanding works from creators around Japan. The jury consists of 18 people from various fields, including Richard Collasse, the Chairman of Chanel LLC, and popular model Kozue Akimoto. A collection of online presentations and interviews with the winners is planned in future events, and the project aims to help these artists continue to work sustainably. The second round of applications will open in November 2021.

 

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