Kazuko Koike Explained

is a creative director born in Tokyo. She graduated from the School of Arts, Letters and Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan. She is member of the Advisory Board for Muji^[1] (“Mujirushi Ryōhin”) since its founding and Professor Emeritus at Musashino Art University in Tokyo.

She is the founder^[2] and president^[3] of Kitchen Inc., an all-women studio that planned and produced design-related projects (since 1976).^[4] She is founder and president of Sagacho Exhibit Space, an alternative space for arts in Saga, Koto-ku, Tokyo (1983–2000).^[5] She is editor and author of books including Issey Miyake, East Meets West (Heibonsha, 1978); Kukan no Aura (Aura of Space) (Hakusuisha, 1993); Fashion: Fashion as a Form of Polyhedron (Musashino Art University Press, 2004); Japanese Coloring (Libro, 1981); and Japan Design (Libro, 1984). Major awards include the 1985 Mainichi Design Prize^[6] and the 1995 Japan Award for the Promotion of Art and Culture.^{[7] [8]}

In September 2012, she curated the exhibition "Ikko Tanaka and Future/Past/East/West of Design" at 21_21 Design Sight in Tokyo.^[9]

In March 2022, her works will be displayed in an exhibition, "Alternative! Kazuko Koike Exhibition -- Soft-Power Movement of Art & Design".^[10]

Works

Editing/Writing Work

• The Heibon Weekly "Weekly Fashion", a magazine (1959)
• Fashion News from Hanae Mori, a tabloid (1966)
• SO-EN, a magazine (1966-77)

Translation Work

• Through the Flower: My Struggle as a Woman Artist by Judy Chicago (1979, Parco Publishing)
• Eileen Gray: Architect/Designer (1991, Libro Port/2017, Misuzu Shobo)

Honours

• Juzo Itami Award (2022)
• Person of Cultural Merit (2022)^[11]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Kazuko Koike Talk Event: A Life with MUJI . 2022-03-12 . Peatix . en.
2. Web site: TrAIN - Kazuko Koike. 2022-02-19. transnational.arts.ac.uk.
3. Book: Fields, Pamela. On the Record: Re: Japan : 1996-97, Media Directory of Japan Specialists in the United States and Japan. 1997. U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON). 146. en.
4. Web site: Gleason. Alan. 2012. Sagacho Exhibit Space: Giving an Incubator of Japanese Contemporary Art Its Due. 19 February 2022. artscape Japan.
5. Web site: Alternative! Kazuko Koike Exhibition — Soft-Power Movement of Art & Design . 2022-03-12 . 3331 Arts Chiyoda.
6. Web site: Kyokendo Jushōsha Ichiran. Mainichi Design Awards. 21 April 2013. Japanese.
7. Web site: Exhibition "Ikko Tanaka and Future/Past/East/West of Design" . 2013-02-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130306175220/http://2121designsight.jp/en/program/ikko_tanaka/profile.html . 2013-03-06 . dead .
8. Web site: Rekidai Jushōsha . https://archive.today/20130704072351/http://www.jpartsfdn.org/modules/award/winner.html . dead . 4 July 2013 . Japan Arts Foundation . 21 April 2013 . Japanese .
9. Web site: Ikko Tanaka: Between past and future, East and West.
10. Web site: Alternative! Kazuko Koike Exhibition — Soft-Power Movement of Art & Design . 2022-03-12 . 3331 Arts Chiyoda.
11. Web site: 松本白鸚氏ら6人に文化勲章 功労者に松任谷由実氏ら. October 25, 2022. The Nikkei. 25 October 2022.