Panel Discussion

Opening Comments and Introduction of the Panelists

FUJIHARA (MC)  ───── Good morning ladies and gentlemen. We would like to begin the announcement of the results of the Final Assessment and the Special Symposium for the Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition 2020.
I am Mr. Susumu FUJIHARA, the Managing Director of the Design Center Ishikawa. I will be your MC today.
We would like to announce the results of the Final Assessment held yesterday and then receive comments on the prize winners from all the panelists.
I would now like to introduce all the panelists who took part in selecting the prize winners.
First, Professor Nagatoshi OHNISHI is an Urushi artist and Professor Emeritus at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. He played the role of the head of the Final Assessment Panel yesterday.
Next, Mr. Motomi KAWAKAMI is an interior designer and Representative of KAWAKAMI Design Room Ltd.
Mr. Shinichi YAMAMURA is a design consultant and the President of Cobo Design Co., Ltd.
Ms. Setsuko YAMADA is a design coordinator and the Representative of TWIN Inc.
Professor Nobuyuki TANAKA is an Urushi artist and Professor at the Kanazawa College of Art.
Professor Shinya YAMAMURA is also an Urushi artist and Professor at the Kanazawa College of Art.
And finally, Mr. Masahito SHIHO is a Project Director at the Design Center Ishikawa. I hope these seven panelists will exchange their stimulating discussions and thought-provoking opinions.

History of the Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition

FUJIHARA (MC)  ───── I would like to give a brief outline of the Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition 2020 and the history of the exhibition.
This is the exhibition’s twelfth event since it began in 1989 as the only Urushi competition that accepted participants from all over the world with the purpose of pursuing new dimensions in Urushi art and allowing people to recognize the charm of Urushi materials and techniques.
For this exhibition, the application period opened in August 2019 and by the deadline of March 3rd 2020, we received 215 entries from 11 nations and regions. The Preliminary Assessment was based on each applicant‘s digital images and took place in April 2020 with Panel members Professor Nagatoshi OHNISHI, Mr. Shinichi YAMAMURA, Professor Shinya YAMAMURA and Ms. Teruko MITARAI. As a result, 80 works from 8 nations and regions were selected.
The Final Assessment was held yesterday with the Panel members I introduced to you at the beginning of today’s meeting. Among the 80 selected works, 78 works were sent to the Executive Office. At the Final Assessment 16 prize winners were selected including the Grand Prize winner, Gold Prize winners and Silver Prize winners.
Today the Grand Prize winner, and the Gold Prize winners are displayed in front of you.
We would like Professor Nagatoshi OHNISHI to lead the symposium today. He was involved in both Assessments as the head member of the Assessment Panels.
First, we would like Professor OHNISHI to summarize the two Assessments, with his impressions and comments.