World renowned Japanese graphic designer, curator, and board member of Japanese lifestyle brand MUJI, recently helmed a design talk at the De La Salle University Manila (DLSU) for the first time in his visit to the Philippines.
The 2-hour DLSU lecture entitled “EMPTINESS – The Design Philosophy of MUJI” is centered on the brand’s history and concept which is greatly influenced by the simplicity of Japanese design. Mujirushi Ryohin, MUJI for short, is known as a “no brand” company that offers simple yet quality everyday products. With the simplicity of its products, Kenya Hara explains how the philosophy of “emptiness” has inspired MUJI’s design which is loved around the world today.
In the year 2000, Kenya Hara produced an exhibition entitled “RE DESIGN – Daily Products of the 21st Century” where he gathered talented architects and designers and asked them to redesign ordinary things. This exhibition emphasizes that astonishing design can be found in the context of the ordinary.
Through this exhibition, Kenya Hara was discovered by Ikko Tanaka, one of the founders and Art Director of MUJI and one of the most famous Graphic Designers of Japan. In 2002, he became a member of MUJI’s advisory board and began acting as its Art Director. In MUJI today, Kenya Hara is responsible for the total art direction of the brand, its concept, advertisements, and spearheads its design projects and exhibitions.
Kenya Hara’s work is deeply rooted in Japanese Culture. His main works include the Programs of the Opening and Ending Ceremony of the Nagano Winter Olympic Games and Expo in 2005. In 2007 and 2009, he produced exhibitions in Paris, Milan, and Tokyo entitled “TOKYO FIBER — SENSEWARE. From 2008 through 2009, he presented his exhibition “JAPAN CAR” in Paris and at the Science Museum in London and in the year 2011, he had a travelling exhibition in Beijing China entitled “DESIGNING DESIGN Kenya Hara 2011 China Exhibition”.
Kenya Hara has also authored several books such as “Designing Design,” “White,” and “Galapagos” which was recently released last year– a book that talks about MUJI’s journey to the Galapagos Islands with an attempt to rethink human life and happiness by discovering pristine nature untouched by humanity. Apart from this, Kenya Hara is also a Professor at the Musashino Art University and the CEO of Nippon Design Centre Ink.
the Galapagos islands to observe the similarities between the island’s creatures and their
products in respect to their uniqueness and evolution.
In the Philippines, MUJI is exclusively distributed by MUJI Philippines Corp., a member of SSI Group, Inc., and is located at Greenbelt 3, C1 Bonifacio High Street Central, Power Plant Mall, and Shangri-La Plaza East Wing. For more details visit facebook.com/muji.ph or follow @muji_ph on Instagram.
SSI Group, 30 Years of the Curated Life
On its 30th year, the SSI Group partners with one of the world’s leading banks, Citibank, to bring the Curated Life to every Filipino with rewarding shopping experiences and perks. With a retail network of over 600 stores and various retail format offerings, the SSI Group continues to make an impact on the lifestyle values of its consumers, by inspiring, enabling, indulging, and rallying them to live a life well-lived—a life that’s well-curated.