Step into a space where tears of joy and laughter blend seamlessly with international designs — a realm that came to life during the unforgettable 2023 Kyoto Global Design Awards Celebration. More than just a spectacular awards ceremony, this event served as a convergence of creative minds from around the globe, acknowledging their hard work, projects, visions, and the realization of their dreams.
The celebration commenced at the Ikebana Museum and journeyed through the iconic Rokkakudo(六角亭), the central point of Kyoto and the birthplace of Ikebana. Amidst the traditional aesthetic of nature, KGDA winners experienced the essence of design inspired by nature and its sustainable application in everyday life.
The journey continued to Miyako Messe's Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design (京都市勸業館), where Mr. Thomas Daniell, Kyoto University Professor and representative of the Asia Design Communication Platform, led a collective assembly of participating designers. Here, they formally endorsed the Global Design Initiative: Kyoto Declaration, uniting in their commitment to environmentally sustainable design principles and aspiring to instigate positive societal changes. Collaborations with KGDA partners Kyoto Design Week, Mr. Isao Kitabayashi and NPO World Cleanup Day Japan Mr. Takao Asai added significance to the event, extending congratulations and honor to KGDA awardees, and urging them to contribute significantly through design.
The celebratory climax took place at Ace Hotel Kyoto's Piopoko Lanuge. Raising a toast to the success and glory of the 2023 Kyoto Global Design Awards, the Celebration served as a platform to seek potential future collaborators and expand interdisciplinary exchanges in different fields. Directors from 3XN in Denmark, Studio mk27 in Brazil, SOM in the United States and Formeta Design in Turkey among others, graced the occasion.
As a token of our gratitude and to share the joyous moments, we are excited to announce that the photos from the event are now available. We invite you to relive the memories and celebrate the shared moments of our collective journey in design. You can view the photos at the following link: www.kgd-a.org/en/event
Special thanks were extended to event partners, including Dsign Something, ADF magazine, Grand Marble, Dari K, C&R Creative Studio, Ace Hotel Kyoto, Ikebana Ikenobo, Miyako Messe, nero magazine, Be-a/Be-a Company, Kid's Company, Yoshi Kawanishi Photo Office, Rakufudo CO.,LTD, and others, along with KGDA partners and staffs. Their invaluable contributions played a pivotal role in the success of the 2023 Kyoto Global Design Awards Celebration. Anticipating the participation of more creative minds, we eagerly look forward to the 2024 Kyoto Global Design Awards, continuing to illuminate the design world with KGDA.
