Prizes

The Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition 2009

New trends of product development and uses of Urushi will be introduced
Period: January 21(Wed), 2009 through 26 (Mon), 2009
Venue: Exhibition Hall (8F), MEITETSU M’ZA (Kanazawa)
82works including prize winners will be exhibited
New Products’ Corner “New Realm of Urushi Ware”

Hideo Nakashima
Chairman The Executive Committee of The Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition (Chairman Design Center Ishikawa)

It is a great pleasure to announce the opening of the Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition 2009, the eighth event. Since the first exhibition many excellent works have been applied from more than ten nations and regions. It has been highly regarded as an international exhibition which explores “New Realm of Urushi Ware”.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the artists, jurors and those concerned in holding this exhibition including Ishikawa prefecture and Kanazawa, Wajima and Kaga cities for their supports and cooperation.
This exhibition has been held to activate Urushi related industries, promote international exchanges through Urushi ware and enhance our lifestyle by asking for new proposals and sensibility in the world of Urushi. I think it truly significant that this exhibition has been held in Ishikawa which harbors three major Urushi producing regions; Wajima, Yamanaka and Kanazawa.
This time we newly established the Advanced Design Prize for promoting product development.
Many works were applied from domestic Urushi ware producing regions.
The organizer, the Executive Committee would like to pursue various possibilities of Urushi from daily utensils to experimental items.
Thank you again for your continuous supports.
January 2009

Masanori Tanimoto
Governor Ishikawa prefecture

I would like to congratulate the opening of the Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition 2009.
This is the eighth event of the exhibition, which started in 1989 as an only international Urushi competition with public call for entry from home and abroad.
This time with the theme of “New Realm of Urushi Ware” the competition aimed to pursue new proposals and new sensibility of Urushi. Consequently, some 215 works were applied from 13 nations and regions of the world.
This demonstrates the international recognition and reputation of this exhibition as an only competition of Urushi with public call for entry in the world I would like to express my great gratitude to all those involved in holding this exhibition for their supports and efforts.
Ishikawa prefecture’s three major lacquerware producing districts, Wajima, Yamanaka, and Kanazawa, boast world reputation. Each area has developed its Urushi ware in its own history and environment with distinctive seasonal changes of nature.
I believe that this exhibition provides opportunities to explore the new trends and techniques of Urushi products and to promote product development through bold designs in the world. I hope that many visitors within and out of Ishikawa will come and enjoy the exhibition.
I would like to bring my greetings to close by hoping that this exhibition will help further international cultural exchanges and promote design-oriented industries for richer, fuller, and better lives of the people in Ishikawa.
January 2009

山出　保
金沢市長

It is a great pleasure to announce the opening of the Ishikawa International Urushi Exhibition 2009.
Since the first exhibition, as the world’s sole Urushi competition with public call for entry, it has been highly regarded and it has become an exhibition which explores new directions of Urushi. Many excellent works were applied to the exhibition this time. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those concerned for their great efforts and I would also like to congratulate the prizewinners on their successes.
Urushi ware has been used with great care because of its beauty and durability, but the present society and our lifestyle have changed so rapidly that traditional arts and crafts including Urushi ware have faced difficulties in selling their products. The newly established Advanced Design Prize asks for new proposals for product development. The characteristics of Urushi, natural material and its traditional techniques, should be utilized today as well.
Kanazawa city has held “Fashion Week” since the autumn of 2006 to enhance the value and quality of our products in the fields of fashion; textiles and traditional arts and crafts. In 2008 this movement restarted as “Oshale Messe” and it targets new product proposals and recreation of new industries of the region.
I think it significant that the organizer has introduced the view point of product development into the exhibition. I hope that this exhibition will continue to develop as the highest level of Urushi competition of the world.
To conclude my greetings, I hope that this exhibition can be instrumental in promoting the design industries and encouraging the development of international exchanges.
January 2009