Hiroshi Awatsuji

Who was Hiroshi Awatsuji?

Hiroshi Awatsuji, was a Japanese textile designer. After World War II, he produced numerous innovative designs which inspired the beginning of a new era. His works are characterized by the use of vivid colors and daring compositions which combine Japanese traditional arts and Western textile design.

Awatsuji was born in Kyoto, Japan, graduated from the Kyoto City College of Fine Arts in 1950 and subsequently established the Awatsuji Design Studio. He was the recipient of the Mainichi Industrial Design Award in 1971, the Japan Interior Designer's Association Award in 1972, and the Silver Award in Industrial Arts at the Third Textile Triennale in Todz, Poland, in 1978. He received the Gold Prize in 1992 at the 28th ID Annual Design Review, and, shortly before his death in 1995, received the Kitaro Kunii Industrial Design Award.