is a Japanese graphic designer, curator and writer. He is a graduate of
Musashino Art University
or is a private university in Kodaira, Western Tokyo, founded in 1962 with roots going back to 1929. It is known as one of the leading art universities in Japan.
History
In October 1929, was founded. In December 1948, it became , and in ...
.
Hara is employed by Musashino Art University as professor, and taught Communication Design and Design Theory in Science on Design Faculty since April 2003.
Hara is one of the leading designers in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and his books ''Designing Design'' and ''White'' are recognized as essential for anyone studying
design theory
Design theory is a subfield of design research concerned with various theoretical approaches towards understanding and delineating design principles, design knowledge, and design practice.
History
Design theory has been approached and interp ...
and
aesthetics
Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed thr ...
.
Hara has been the art director of
Muji
(), or is a Japanese retail company which sells a wide variety of household and consumer goods. Muji's design philosophy is minimalist, and it places an emphasis on recycling, reducing production and packaging waste, and a no-logo or "no-bran ...
since 2001, and designed the opening and closing ceremony programs of the
Nagano Winter Olympic Games 1998.
In 2008, Hara partnered with fashion label
Kenzo
is a common masculine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Kenzō can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:
*賢三, "wise, three"
*健三, "healthy, three"
*謙三, "humble, three"
*健想, "healthy, concept"
*建造, "bu ...
for the launch of its men's fragrance ''Kenzo Power''.
He also designed the official posters for EXPO 2005
Aichi
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectu ...
, created the signage system for the
Umeda
is a major commercial, business, shopping and entertainment district in Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, and the city's main northern railway terminus (Ōsaka Station, Umeda Station). The district's name means "plum field".
History
Umeda was historical ...
Hospital and the visual identification for the
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan.
It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...
Prefectural Art Museum, worked on new design for the
Matsuya department store in
Ginza
Ginza ( ; ja, 銀座 ) is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo, with numerous intern ...
, among many other design projects.
In 2021, Hara partnered with
Xiaomi
Corporation (; ), commonly known as Xiaomi and registered as Xiaomi Inc., is a Chinese designer and manufacturer of consumer electronics and related software, home appliances, and household items. Behind Samsung, it is the second largest ma ...
and designed a new logo for the company, which was unveiled on 31 March 2021, replacing the previous one. Hara and his company converted the previous square logo into a squircle. He earned $300,000 from the project.
Exhibitions
In 2000, he organized the exhibition ''Re-Design: The Daily Products of the 21st Century''.
[''Designing Design''](_blank)
springer.com; accessed 20 June 2015.
This exhibition was first held at Takeo Paper Show in Tokyo, and then traveled to the U.K. (Glasgow), Denmark (Copenhagen), Hong Kong, Canada (Toronto), and China (Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing).
According to Hara, ''re-design'' is "a means by which to correct and renew our feelings about the essence of design, hidden within the fascinating environment of an object that is so overly familiar to us that we can no longer see it".
He invited 32 leading Japanese creators from various fields such as architecture, graphic design, lighting, fashion, photography, to design anew some very mundane commodities, and each participant was in charge of one subject to re-design.
Shigeru Ban
[Biography](_blank)
, The Hyatt Foundation, retrieved 26 March 2014 is a Japanese architect, known for his i ...
re-designed toilet paper, Masahiko Sato – exit/entry stamps for passports at international airports,
Kengo Kuma
is a Japanese architect and professor in the Department of Architecture (Graduate School of Engineering) at the University of Tokyo. Frequently compared to contemporaries Shigeru Ban and Kazuyo Sejima, Kuma is also noted for his prolific writings ...
– roach trap,
Kaoru Mende
Kaoru Mende (born 1950 in Tokyo, Japan) is an architectural lighting designer from Japan.
Mende has bachelor's and master's degrees from the Tokyo University of Art. He is a visiting professor of lighting design at Musashino Art University and als ...
– matches, Kosuke Tsumura – diapers,
Naoto Fukasawa
Naoto Fukasawa (; born 1956) is a Japanese designer, author, and educator, working in the fields of product and furniture design. He is known for his product design work with the Japanese retail company Muji, as well as collaborations with compa ...
– tea bags.
In 2004, Hara planned and produced an exhibition ''HAPTIC–Awakening the Senses'', which focused on human sensory perception in design. For this exhibition, he invited various creators such as fashion designer
Kosuke Tsumura Kosuke Tsumura (b.1959) is a Japanese fashion designer and artist particularly known for his Final Home label.
Early life
Kosuke Tsumura was born in 1959 in Saitama, Japan.
In 1982 he won the Soen Prize, an award made by the leading Japanese fas ...
, graphic designer Shin Sobue, product designers
Jasper Morrison
Jasper Morrison (born 1959) is an English product and furniture designer. He is know for the refinement and apparent simplicity of his designs. In a rare interview with the designer, he is quoted as saying: "Objects should never shout".
Ear ...
and
Naoto Fukasawa
Naoto Fukasawa (; born 1956) is a Japanese designer, author, and educator, working in the fields of product and furniture design. He is known for his product design work with the Japanese retail company Muji, as well as collaborations with compa ...
, architects
Kengo Kuma
is a Japanese architect and professor in the Department of Architecture (Graduate School of Engineering) at the University of Tokyo. Frequently compared to contemporaries Shigeru Ban and Kazuyo Sejima, Kuma is also noted for his prolific writings ...
and
Toyo Ito
is a Japanese architect known for creating conceptual architecture, in which he seeks to simultaneously express the physical and virtual worlds. He is a leading exponent of architecture that addresses the contemporary notion of a "simulated" ...
"to design an object not based on form or color, but motivated primarily by "haptic" considerations". The term ''haptic'' means “relating to or pleasant to the sense of touch."
His other exhibitions include ''The Architects' Macaroni Exhibition'' (Tokyo)'', Tokyo Fiber -- Senseware'' held in Paris, Milan and Tokyo'', Japan Car'' (Paris and London).
Works
*1998 – Umeda Hospital - VI System, Applications
*2000 – Hakkin - Sake Bottle
*2000 – Matsuya Ginza - VI System, Advertising
*2003 – MUJI - Poster, "Horizon"
*2011 – Tsutaya Shoten (Bookstore) - VI System, Sign System, Applications & Advertising
*2011 – Zhi Art Museum - VI System
*2014 – PIERRE HERMÉ PARIS - Product Design
*2017 – Graphic, “NOH”
*2018 – Poster, "Natsure, Naturally, MUJI."
Books
''The Riddle of the Macaroni Hole'', 2001
Asahi Shimbunsha published, as a book, a series of columns that Hara had written for the Nihon Keizai Shimbun
apan Economic Newspaperfrom 2000 to 2001.
''Designing Design'', 2007
In ''Designing Design,'' Hara explains his theories and philosophical approach to design. Hara writes about the essence of design: "There are an unlimited number of ways of thinking and perceiving. In my understanding, to design is to intentionally apply to ordinary objects, phenomena and communication the essence of these innumerable ways of thinking and perceiving". "Producing something new from scratch is creative, but making known unknown is also an act of creation. Maybe the latter is more useful in nailing down just what design is".
In this book, Hara also mentioned about his study “Information Architecture”. Hara explained, the formation of impression is through the external stimulation of the senses, recall the past memory in the brain, the past memory is constantly combined with the external information to build the "Information Architecture" (form the new memory). By changing the external stimuli, designers can meet the effect of certain information transmission.
''Dialogue in Design: Kenya Hara & Masayo Ave'', 2007
''White'', 2010
He also authored another book, ''White'', which explores white as a design concept. He points out that "white is a color from which color has escaped, but its diversity is boundless." In this book, Kenya Hara elaborates on the importance of "emptiness" in both the visual and philosophical traditions of
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, and its application to design. Hara writes: "In some cases, white denotes "emptiness." White as noncolor transforms into a symbol of nonbeing. Yet emptiness doesn't mean "nothingness" or "energy-less"; rather, in many cases, it indicates a condition, or ''kizen'', which will likely be filled with content in the future. On the basis of this assumption, the application of white is able to create a forceful energy for communication."
''Awakening for Design'', 2014
''Ex-formation'', 2017
The book introduces a communication design method that is based on the new concept of determining how to make people aware of what they do not know.
''Designing Japan : a future built on aesthetics'', 2018
In 2018, the English edition of ''Nihon no dezain: Biishiki ga tsukuru mirai'' was released as ''Designing Japan: A Future Built on Aesthetics''. In this work, Hara explains his vision of how his industry can support Japan in crafting a future founded on a unique philosophy of beauty as well as crowd-sourced wisdom from around the world. The book is a foundation for understanding the essence of Japanese aesthetics, while maintaining a practical approach to Japan's circumstances and future possibilities.
''100 Whites'', 2019
100 Whites is the extension of his previously published book 'White'. In this book, Hara gives 100 specific examples of white to explain the importance in design. On the basis of these examples he discusses the importance of white in design - not only as a color but as a philosophy. Hara describes how he experiments with the different whites he mentions, what they mean in the process of his work, and how they influence design today.
Awards
Kenya Hara is the recipient of numerous awards:
2003: Tokyo Art Director's Club Award, Grand Prize for Muji's advertisement campaign "Horizon."
2001: The Mainichi Design Award 2000
1999: The Prime Minister's Award: Japan Calendar Exhibition, EXPO 2005 Calendar
1998: Signage Design Award, Grand Prize, Japan for
Umeda
is a major commercial, business, shopping and entertainment district in Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, and the city's main northern railway terminus (Ōsaka Station, Umeda Station). The district's name means "plum field".
History
Umeda was historical ...
Hospital Signage System.
References
External links
Profile at the Hara Design Institute at the Nippon Design CenterWhite Lars Müller Publishers, 2010
Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture, 2018
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hara, Kenya
Japanese industrial designers
1958 births
Living people
Japanese graphic designers
Musashino Art University alumni
Academic staff of Musashino Art University