The Furoshiki Design Contest was held this year on the initiative of the Embassy of Japan in Israel and the Japan Foundation in conjunction with Design Museum Holon to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Israel.
Design students from Israel and Japan were invited to design an original pattern for Furoshiki, a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth, that reflects a fusion of motifs from Japanese and Israeli cultures. Of the 200 design students from Israel and Japan who took part in the contest, Dikla Chen-Saar, a jewelry design student at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, won the Grand Prize. Shouta Kojima, an interior design student at Nagoya Mode Gakuen, Japan, won the Certificate of Excellence.
The two winning designs will be printed and used as an official souvenir to mark sixty years of friendship between Israel and Japan, thereby promoting cultural exchange between the two countries.
Furoshiki is a traditional Japanese cloth used to wrap various objects, and is an expression of Japan's unique "wrapping culture" and the aesthetics of packaging. With the focus on environmental problems in recent years, Furoshiki are attracting renewed attention as they can be used over and over again.
Grand Prize Certificate:
Dikla Chen-Saar
Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design , Jerusalem, Israel
Title: Wings Flap
"The Wing-Flap of a dove represents Harmony & Peace, Balance and Beauty. Two cultures of two nations complimenting each other, working together for a better future."
Certificate of Excellence:
Shouta Kojima
School: Interior Design, Nagoya Mode Gakuen, Japan
Title: Tatami Mat and Candlesticks
"Tatami mats are the symbolic element of Japanese rooms, while candlesticks symbolize Israel. This design brings together these two elements to create the image of a Japanese room interspersed with candlesticks. My hope is that this sort of cultural combination will help to deepen the ties of friendship between the two countries."
For more information about the designers and works click here >>