Awards 2023
Update
Preliminary Round Results
The following works were selected from 367 entries.
Total entries ： 367
Award-winning works ： 16
Award-Winning Works
Grand Prize
1 million yen
『 Translucent 』
Yusei Koizumi
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
Comments of the award winners
I usually design architecture. This time, I proposed a translucent wallpaper that would be put up in wooden interior spaces. By printing colors on the cheesecloth fabric used for base repairs, I made this wallpaper that could be put in the widest possible range of applications. Hopefully this will become practical in the future. I can't believe I've received this award. Thank you for organizing this event. I would like to participate in the future too.
Judges’ Comments
- Ryosuke Uehara
- I visualize an actual space that must be very beautiful. Looking closer at it, we would be surprised with “Cheesecloth, isn’t it?” and feel an intriguing gap from what we have thought.
- Izumi Okayasu
- I've already seen some works executed with cheesecloth, but I didn't imagine this type of wallpaper would be this beautiful. Mixing paint gives you a darker color. Mix all the colors of light, and you get white light. This work does not darken even if the colors are layered, but rather like light.
- Kentaro Yamazaki
- It is a universal idea, and bravo for the design. A material that is commonly used by people involved in architecture is ingeniously tapped for this work. I value that the work has design sensitivity added to strong concept together with an esthetic appeal.
- Nozomi Zama
- Works are judged from various viewpoints, such as ideas and tastes. This work is top-notch. Inspiration, material choice to make the most of wood texture, pastel vision, etc. are likable and agreeable to me.
- Shosuke Yasuda
- Something great comes only when concept and design come together. These two factors are both impressive in this work.
Second Prize
500,000 yen
『 Thunder 』
Manbou Tabuchi
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
Comment of the award winner
This is a holographic wallpaper. I composed the screen, referring to the moment when the lightning flashes in the dark. In sliding our glance, the rainbow colors in the pattern change. The contrast between the matte black and the holographic image is accentuated, and the hue is finished calm and sexy. The subtitle is “The Radiance of Ladies”. Receiving the Award for Excellence, I can’t tell you how happy I am. There is still a higher award, so I will challenge next year too.
Judges’ Comments
- Ryosuke Uehara
- The concept is simple and straightforward. The expression is fanciful and amazing. Above all, the lightning bolts are interesting in shape. Looks like somewhere between real and cartoonish. The contrast between gloss and matte is very good, and even though it is flat, it feels deep.
- Izumi Okayasu
- I'm glad that there have been works trying to compete with pure graphic design.in this Award. Such works are few this year, but this work has a tremendous power and presence among the minority.
- Kentaro Yamazaki
- As the range of entries expanded, Mr. Tabuchi's personality factor stands out. Among many other works with interesting ideas and concepts, his distinct design is at the other end of the spectrum.
- Nozomi Zama
- Mr. Tabuchi’s talent has exploded, something like that. It takes courage to design like this. In a short, a decisively created, tasteful design.
- Shosuke Yasuda
- When appreciated in large format, this work is strikingly different. It is masterfully crafted.
Judges' Award
150,000 yen
Sangetsu Award
50,000 yen
- The Sangetsu Award was created as an award that is given to one finalist work.
It is voted on, by the employees at Sangetsu, based on which entry they find attractive from their own perspectives.
『 Paper tile Crafti 』
Manbou Tabuchi
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
Comment of the award winner
This sustainable paper relief tile is made from waste paper such as newspapers and magazines. Amid calls for environmental issues, I wanted to express the appreciation of making things by hand, mechanically unpowered. Also I thought it would be meaningful to make something without using plastic.
Judge’s Comment
- Ryosuke Uehara
- The texture of the material is interesting. By tearing along the lines, the texture of the edges becomes richer in taste. By combining them like the pieces of a puzzle, the expression changes and the combinations are infinite. There are many other cutting ways, probably giving the potential of more images.
Judges' Award
150,000 yen
『 feel the air 』
Itsuki Okuda・Kanako Maenami
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
Comment of the award winner
We wondered if a wall surface could be created to re-experience the presence of rich natural setting and the feel of someone around. The surface consists of three layers: base, color layer, and finishing layer. The finished surface is scratched in gird pattern, thereby reacting to heat and moisture and thus contracting and expanding repeatedly. A design that could express changes is difficult to achieve, but we would be glad if this could be commercial feasible.
Judge’s Comment
- Izumi Okayasu
- Besides the lattice pattern, this approach could be applied to a variety of things. I would like you to continue your research. Hopefully this idea will lay the seeds of development in the next 10 or 20 years. Through this work, I feel like I have seen an amazing future.
Judges' Award
150,000 yen
『 Ocean Plastic -feel attaching workshop- 』
Ryoji Mitsui
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
Comment of the award winner
A workshop was launched to convert marine plastic waste, which is an environmental problem, into a wall surface design. The participants collected such waste and worked on wall surface design while sharing the joy of making and creating. We would like to suggest that what we create be on walls of public space such as community centers. Encouraged by receiving this award, I would like to keep trying.
Judge’s Comment
- Kentaro Yamazaki
- Marine plastic waste is employed. It could have also been applied for walls of old folk houses, for example, among others. On the other hand, I view the project very favorably and would like to value that he runs the workshop in a practical way.
Judges' Award
150,000 yen
『 Yeti 』
Hiroshi Nishimata
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
Comment of the award winner
I worked on a space that would make people feel extraordinary for just a short time in their daily lives. Striped cloth was draped and photographed and stylized. The gentle curvature transforms the wall into a moderately swaying space. I think it is a textile design that is suitable for passageway and something like that. I would like to continue to make things that add color to our life.
Judge’s Comment
- Nozomi Zama
- The balance between people and walls is good. While appreciating the background and thoughts that led to that point, I find the design also wonderful.
Finalist Prize
20,000 yen each
『 senbaduru kabe 』
Hiromi Matsumura・ Suguru Nakamura
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
- Judge’s Comment
- Imagining the process of making it together and the place where this wall design fits well, I have found this work pretty good.（Okayasu）
『 Chop & Chop 』
Kazuyuki Kodama
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
- Judge’s Comment
- I fully understood how it was made and how spontaneously it shaped itself.（Yamazaki）
『 Triangular 』
Takako Hirano
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
- Judge’s Comment
- It would have been nicer if focus could have been on the way of thinking and on a Japanese worldview, including the title.（Uehara）
『 Va Va Voom! 』
Sachiko Ashida・Suguru Nakamura
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
- Judge’s Comment
- It would have been nicer to have a variety of colors. The design changes depending on how another color is added, so I feel the possibilities.（Uehara）
『 Hakutaimon 』
Yasunobu Idei
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
- Judge’s Comment
- I like this. He has a good sense of displaying visually.（Zama）
『 folding wall 』
Mayu Kitane
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
- Judge’s Comment
- I wanted her to insist that this work should be hanging from above. Staying put and stand, I feel, it may have lost some of its appeal.（Okayasu）
『 Wall that changes nuances softly 』
Takahiro Satou
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
- Judge’s Comment
- The fact is that you can't fully appreciate this work unless you shine light on it. It looks somewhat weaker compared to other works.（Yasuda）
『 dotscape 』
Yuhi Ohyanagi
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
- Judge’s Comment
- I wanted to know more about how this work could spice up more communications.（Yamazaki）
『 ori 』
Soma Motoishi
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
- Judge’s Comment
- My sense is that the density of the yarns would have been increased and the color multiple. Some variations could be possible.（Yasuda）
『 Melting Horizons 』
Saki Kawahata
Click to watch the video presentation.＞
- Judge’s Comment
- I feel about a very bold idea in blurring the skirting board and internal corners.（Yamazaki）
Judges’ Review
Ryosuke Uehara
Representative of KIGI Co., Ltd., Creative Director/Art Director
It is perceived this time that the overall level has been raised even more. With the change in theme to “Wall design”, I was expecting some works that use digital technology or utilize projection mapping, for example, but there was no development yet that far ahead.
However, I find it very good that many products have evolved in the direction of partitions and walls themselves. In addition, I see a great progress because some works are created by adding action to the work and the others change the look with the passage of time. The theme of "Walls" themselves, as the name suggests, is not strictly restricted, but flexible in scope. Hopefully you will embody various ideas and work on them. I look forward to Sangetsu Design Award much more tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
Izumi Okayasu
President of Izumi Okayasu Lighting Design Office,Lighting Designer
I feel that the theme of “Wall design”, which can be interpreted more broadly, has potential for the future. The entries are wide and diverse in concept, and my feeling is that the overall quality is the highest that I have ever been involved with. All the creators should assuredly rack their brains working on how the walls should exist. And now Sangetsu Design Award has stepped away from the wallpaper and into a challenging area in my opinion. There are, however, fewer and fewer works that compete purely on graphic emphasis. I am relieved that Mr. Tabuchi's "Thunder" won the Award for Excellence. For the future, this competition is supposed to be a platform for Sangetsu to successfully pick up interesting ideas for R&D and commercialization. This will benefit both the applicants and Sangetsu as well. And it will keep Sangetsu Design Award moving forward.
Kentaro Yamazaki
Representative Director of YAMAZAKI KENTARO DESIGN WORKSHOP Co., Ltd., Architect
This year's entries were very wide-ranging, and our reviews were held among the design-centric works and idea-filled ones. It was time to appreciate those works, I believe, which feature this year's awards. During the review stages, I was able to get to know about the production process and the way of thinking that strikes a chord, and to deepen my understanding. On top of that, I evaluated the designs, which are the visible output. In the end, we came to a discussion about what design is. Although not just this year, the judges' expertise, personalities and passions came out. I find it really good for this event.
What sticks out in my mind is that the era of sophistication is over. “Design for communication” is emerging, such as collaboration and entrusting the finished form to others. Empathy is a common issue and probably continues to be a main theme in the design industry.
Nozomi Zama
President of ZA Design Inc., Interior Designer
This is my second time participating in Sangetsu Design Award studded with remarkable works. This event has made a significant step toward becoming a gateway for artists in the making. The entries are wide in variety, and I enjoyed reviewing them. What I understand in particular is that lots of works are inspired by everyday life and designed with wished-for ideas. As professionals, we are always thinking about what is in line with the times or what can be handed over for the future. From that viewpoint, some works go ahead of the times, and the others change face interestingly as time goes by or face the future. “Wall design” encourages flexible ideas and freewheeling thinking - out of the box and from scratch. As judge, I find it difficult to screen and review. Feeling strong potential for next year, I look forward to encountering what wonderful works will come out again.
Shosuke Yasuda
CEO of Sangetsu Corporation (as of FY2023)
* Chairman of Judging Committee
For the 7th Sangetsu Design Award, we went beyond the frame of wallpaper and the feasibility of commercialization, and asked the applicants for “the creative way for the concept of walls.” As a result, the atmosphere changed dramatically from the past, and some of the entries were quite unique. It is true that some works are new in their proposals but short on design factor. The others are not clear for their accomplishment. Even so, we focused on approach of new concepts and reviewed with future potential in mind. This time around, we expanded the frame from "wallpaper" to "walls", and in the future we would like to step further into their design possibilities. We at Sangetsu are committed to becoming a company that could achieve this goal. We strongly hope that this award will develop as a platform for new and old applicants with the "power of design" in general, which in turn will add more value to Sangetsu and to society.
Event Report
March 12, 2024
The final review session and awards ceremony were held.
Short movie of final round of judging and award ceremony
Reports on final review session and awards ceremony
Sangetsu Wallpaper Design Award started seven years ago, and has been renamed Sangetsu Design Award this year with its application conditions changed. Now the applicants come up not only for "wallpaper design" but also "wall design". As a result, this new competition is a good opportunity to create concepts and ideas that explore spaces with walls and wall-and-life relationship.
On March 12, 2024, the final review session and awards ceremony were held at PARCs in Hibiya, Tokyo, a new value creation hub for Sangetsu Group. The 18 finalists (16 entries) gathered in the hall of the brand-new office, and the presentation began with a reasonable tension. A lively question-and-answer session was held, in which the thoughts and charms of the finalists' works became clearer.
The judges, the same as for the previous year, screened and reviewed the works from the perspectives and sensibilities unique to their respective expertise, and exchanged their opinions to each other. The works were reviewed from every angle: idea, concept, production process, design, materials, and space concerned.The discussions were focused on the backbone and fundamental of each work and its potential, in selecting the Grand Prize and other awards.
The application conditions have been expanded to "Wall design" this year. Accordingly, we have come up with a new approach for how to show the wall space. On the other hand, graphically designed works still have given an overwhelming presence and won awards. A judge said, "This may be a takeoff stage before the award evolves significantly." With a huge variety of works, this Sangetsu Design Award was an event that would suggest further possibilities.
At post-ceremony party, the award winners and finalists had lively talks and chats with the judges and media staff.
We at Sangetsu strongly hope that this award will nurture future design trends. For the 2024 competition, we look forward to receiving many applications from you all.
