Participants
Issey Miyake
Designer
Issey Miyake founded the Miyake Design Studio in 1970 and started to present the collections in Paris beginning in 1973. Miyake's exploration of the space created between the body and the cloth surrounding it has evolved, always starting from a one piece of cloth. Miyake has constantly set his sights upon the future and the next stage of design, whether his functional and versatile "PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE" series (1993-) or the "A-POC" (A Piece of Cloth/ 1998-) series, that introduced a single process whereby continuous rolls of fabric, texture, and articles of clothing could be made from a single piece of thread. Today, Miyake works with his Reality Lab Project Team to explore and build upon the distinctive characteristics of "regenerative" materials, ever mindful of the need for research and material development that will address our dwindling natural resources and the environment.
http://mds.isseymiyake.com
Katsumi Asaba
Art Director
Born in 1940 in the Kanagawa Prefecture. Founded the Katsumi Asaba Design Studio in 1975, after studying at the KUWASAWA DESIGN SCHOOL and working at Light Publicity Co., Ltd. He has designed advertisements for Suntory, The Seibu Department Stores Ltd., Misawa Homes Co., Ltd., and many others. He is the chairman of the TOKYO TYPE DIRECTORS CLUB, when he is not busy exploring the relationships between written and visual expression; and has a particular interest in the rich cultural heritage of writing in Asia. He has been awarded the Tokyo Art Directors Club Grand Prix, the Shiju Award, among others. In addition to chairing TDC, he is a member of the board of JAGDA (Japan Graphic Designers Association Inc.), chairman of the Design Association, organizer for Enjin01 Cultural Strategy Council; a committee member of the ADC (Tokyo Art Directors Club) , and a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale. Asaba is also a Visiting Professor at the Tokyo Zokei University and at the Kyoto Seika University. His principal area of expertise lies in the pictographic Dongba script used in rituals by the Naxi tribe in China. He also holds the title of sixth degree master in table tennis (Japan Table Tennis Association).
Takafumi Matsui
Planetary Physicist
Born in Shizuoka Prefecture 1946. Graduate of the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Science and Graduate School of Science. Doctorate of Science. After serving as a researcher at NASA, visiting scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and professor at the Graduate School of the University of Tokyo, Matsui is currently the Director of the Planetary Exploration Research Center (PERC) of the Chiba Institute of Technology. Matsui specializes in planetary science and astrobiology. Matsui gathered worldwide attention in 1986 after announcing his "Theory of Water Planets" published on "Nature" science magazine, which solved the mystery of how the ocean was created. Matsui has participated in the production of NHK "Chikyu Daikikou" from the planning faces of the program and has received rave reviews for his clear-cut commentary. Today, Matsui's activities are centered on those which focus on his role as a bridge between the world of science and the general public.
Pascal Roulin
Designer
Born in Belgium in 1958 and is based in Tokyo since 2002. He started in the film industry at the age of 19 in Paris. He has directed films since 1983, including hundreds of works in animation, live action and computer graphics; his films include commercials, music videos, opera extracts, entertainment rides, contemporary art, world expo, science museums or folk tales series. Since 1998, He has continued to collaborate on films and graphics with Miyake Design Studio for the PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE, Making Things exhibitions and A-POC woven and knitting technologies presentations.
Arik Levy
Designer, Artist
"Design is an uncontrolled muscle" according to Arik Levy (born 1963). Designer, technician, artist, photographer, filmmaker, Levy's skills aremulti-disciplinary and his work can be seen in prestigious galleries and museums worldwide. Best known publicly for his furniture design for global companies, installations and limited editions, Levy nevertheless feels "The world is about people, not tables and chairs."
http://www.ariklevy.fr/
Hiroshi Iwasaki
Photographer
Born in Shizuoka 1969. After graduating from a school of photography, Iwasaki worked under photographers Jo Akimoto and Ayumi Okubo until shifting to freelance in 1998. Iwasaki's main works are based on still life photography for advertisements and magazines.
www.hiroshiiwsaki.com
Kaoru Suzuki
Photographer
Graduate of Joshibi Junior College of Art and Design. Suzuki became a freelance photographer after working at a publishing company. Her lifework is in photographing lotus flowers, a motif that she photographed for the first time for the "Renka Musou" exhibition by the late art director Jo Murakoshi. 2005, Suzuki held a photo exhibition, "Renka, Suzuki Kaoru Photo Exhibition" at Gallery MUKYO in timing with the publishing of her book, "Renka" (Rutles.) Since then, she has held solo exhibitions every year. Other lifeworks include her photographs of Kanze School No theater Master Shiro Nomura that she has been taking since 1992. Member of the Nohgaku Photographers Society.
Photo: Junya Igarashi
Jun Mitani
Computer Scientist
In 2004 Mitani received Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Tokyo for his research on designing 3D papercraft models with computer. In 2006 he started working at University of Tsukuba. His present post is associate professor at Graduate School of Systems and Information Engineering in University of Tsukuba. He is studying about designing three-dimensional curved origami with computer as part of research activities.
REBIRTH PROJECT
Launched in 2008. As a "project for the survival of man on earth," the members of this project stood up in order to explore the various ways in which they can address the ever building number of issues in today's society and to solve them on their own for a better tomorrow. If one small step today links to the future, the essence lies in challenging what we can do now and taking action. This realization has led to efforts in creating a lifestyle that escapes from a negative cycle and replaces it with good for the creation of a positive lifestyle for both the earth and society.
http://www.rebirth-project.jp/
Mayu Hirano (Temjin)
Documentary film artist
Born 1970. TV program director and producer. After graduating from Tokyo Woman's Christian University, Hirano dedicated her efforts to program development at the TV program production company Temjin.
Past works: Director of "Necchu Jikan" regular program since 2004, "Happy Time: Ishikawa Asami," "Kagayaku Onna: Ueno Juri," "Kurashite miru Tabi: Imai Tsubasa to Shodoshima no Oka-chan," Producer of "Siberian Railway 2008," "Zetsumetsu Seibutsu wo Sukue! The Lynx Pardinus," "88-sai Satoyama no Ishi" and more.
Naoki Yonemoto (Temjin)
Documentary film artist
Born 1976. TV program director. Yonemoto started producing independent films as a student at Waseda University. Joined TV program production company Temjin after graduating and is currently involved in the creation of many programs mainly documentaries.
Past works: "Necchu Jikan: Asaba Katsumi no Dokodemo Ping Pong." "Qinghai-Tibet Railway: Sekai no Yane 2,000 kilo wo Yuku" (Winner of the NHK Executive Director-General of Broadcasting Special Award), "Series the Great Sichuan Earthquake; Lee Sensei to 30-nin no Kodomo-tachi" (Winner of the ATP Award Documentary Section Grand Prix)
WOW
Visual Design Studio
WOW is a visual design studio based in Tokyo, Sendai and Florence. They are involved in a wide field of design from advertising and commercial works to installation works for exhibition spaces, and also invent new user interface designs for prominent brand names. They are also very passionate about creating original art works, holding exhibitions not only in Japan but also internationally. They are continuously discovering the tremendous possibilities of visual design, and the visual designs that are useful for society bring out the best talents of each artist and designer.
http://www.w0w.co.jp/
Photo:Tohru Yuasa(B.P.B.)
Reality Lab Project Team
A research and development team lead by Issey Miyake and two staff members, Manabu Kikuchi (a textile engineer) and Sachiko Yamamoto (a pattern engineer) and comprised of a group of designers, some of whom are young. The team was formed in 2007. It is a project based upon the principal of collaboration and teamwork. Their goal is, through research, to explore the future of making things from clothing to industrial products. It always seeks to create products that reflect what people need and to find new ways to stimulate creative production in Japan.