Seiko Epson Corporation (“Epson”) held the 2006 Epson Color Imaging Contest for digitally output photographs and graphic works from May 25 through September 20 and received numerous entries. After rigorous screening of all 16,134 works, 65 were selected for the Grand Prize and other awards. All the winning entries will be on display at Spiral Garden in Aoyama, Tokyo for five days starting December 15 (Friday).
Grand Prize
Winner: Tetsutaro Nishimoto, 21, Kanagawa Prefecture
Title: “Your Room, Your Face” (Nine 24-page photo albums)
Award: 2 million yen and Epson product
Second Prize
Winner: Kozue Takagi, 21, Tokyo
Title: “selfcounseling” (One 32-page album)
Award: 1 million yen and Epson product
There were a total of 16,134 entries, 13,682 in the Photography Category and 2,452 in the Graphics Category. In addition to those from Japan, high-quality works were submitted from nine Asian countries and territories: China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Foreign entries, mainly from China and Taiwan, totaled 12,816, a dramatic increase of 61% from last year. The contest is becoming an impetus for the new culture of digital expression, as well as an international event.
Many winners, including Grand Prize winner Mr. Nishimoto and Second Prize winner Ms.Takagi, were around 20 years old, ushering in a new era of works with sensitive, stark originality reflecting modern sensibility. Mr. Nishimoto won high praise for “Your Room, Your Face,” a collection of nine photo albums, each one depicting the room of a different friend. Singled out was his strategic presentation – the division of the photos into separate albums, the binding, the paper, and the sense of stillness created by panorama-size pictures. Second Prize winner Ms. Takagi’s “selfcounseling” is a unique album with illustrations and photos overlapped using Photoshop to reveal a sensitive world view. Starting with the top winners, this year was noteworthy for an increase in works of high overall quality, including the photos and graphics, as if using digital technology has become as natural as breathing.
As well as showcasing this year’s award-winning entries, the display at Spiral Garden will also present new works by last year’s winners, Michiko Nishimura, who won the Grand Prize, and Shunsaku Hayashi, who took Second Prize. Come and immerse yourself in a world of creativity made possible with printers.
In line with our global tagline, Exceed Your Vision, Epson aims to offer original digital imaging products and services to help people create works filled with possibility and creativity.
About Epson
Epson is a global leader in imaging products including printers, 3LCD projectors and small- and medium-sized LCDs. With an innovative and creative culture, Epson is dedicated to exceeding the vision and expectations of customers worldwide with products known for their superior quality, functionality, compactness and energy efficiency.
This article was last modified on January 7, 2023
This article was first published on December 20, 2006
Commenting is easier and faster when you're logged in!
