Prize-Giving and Closing Reception for Knowing Me, Knowing You?
With Nana Shiomi and Simon Fraser

On Monday, 13 July the Embassy of Japan hosted a reception to announce the winner of the Japan Society’s Knowing Me, Knowing You? art competition. This exhibition (10 June – 22 July 2009) featured artworks submitted by members of the Japan Society expressing their ideas of the relationship between Japan and the UK. This is in celebration of Japan-UK 150, a series of events which commemorates the 150 years of friendship between the two countries.

There was a full house at the Embassy to hear the announcement of the winner which was preceded by an informal discussion between Ms Nana Shiomi and Mr Simon Fraser which explored their relationships with Japan and the UK through art. They also took part in the judging of the art competition.

Nana came to this country in 1989 to study at the Royal College of Art in London. She is an established printmaker and has regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition. In the UK, Nana has come to look more at her Japanese roots and now uses Japanese icons in her prints; something she would never have done in Japan.

Simon Fraser is a jeweller, design consultant, curator and an MA course director at Central St Martin’s College of Art and Design in London. He has worked extensively with students and designers from Japan and notably curated the Contemporary Japanese Jewellery exhibition at the Crafts Council in 2001. Simon talked about his relationship with Japan and that it was through objects that his understanding of Japan is determined.

After the discussion the eagerly awaited announcement of the winner took place. The winner of the Japan Society members’ ‘popular vote’ went to Azusa Ogawa for her photograph, Nostalgia – Port. Nana Shiomi kindly donated one of her prints as a prize for her favourite exhibitor. This went to Shaun Garner for his work entitled Marriage of Kilt and Kimono. The lucky overall winner was Setsuo Kato, whose photograph Sankai-Juku,showed Butoh dancers at Stonehenge. He received a pair of round-trip tickets to Japan, courtesy of Virgin Atlantic. Ken Okaniwa, Director of the Japan Information and Cultural Centre at the Embassy of Japan encouraged everyone to prepare for the Japan Society’s next art competition in 2010.