LEXUS ANNOUNCED MENTORS FOR LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022
UP-AND COMING CREATORS TO BE GUIDED BY PROMINENT STARS TO DESIGN A BETTER TOMORROW
TOKYO, Japan (September 17, 2021) - Lexus today announced the four mentors who will be supporting the finalists in the Lexus Design Award 2022, now open for entries.
Since the Lexus Design Award’s launch in 2013, up-and-coming creators have been given the once-in-a-lifetime experience of mentorship from some of the design world's most famous names. For the 2022 edition, Beijing-based architect Yosuke Hayano and France and Portugal-based designer Sam Baron will join designer Joe Doucet, now in his third year as a mentor, and designer Sabine Marcelis, who joined the mentor line-up in 2021.
The mentorship programme sets the Lexus Design Award apart from other competitions. It gives the finalists direct access to elite working professionals who guide them in exploring the potential of their ideas and finalising their prototypes and presentations.
Yosuke Hayano is a principal partner of MAD Architects, directing teams known for their fresh vision of Asian architecture, as expressed in major projects worldwide. Sam Baron, a visionary creative leader, creates products and experiences, mixing art and design, from concept to completion for some of the world’s leading brands.
“To be part of the mentor team is an honour, as the Lexus Design Award is about creative empowerment of the next generation,” said Baron. “To share explorations and experiences with the selected candidates is a unique opportunity to get to know young international talents who will challenge themselves to be among the finalists. I will enjoy my time with them on my mission of finding their key assets, making them grow and glow—to express their concept and also their personalities.”
The judging criteria for Lexus Design Award 2022 draw on the three key principles of the Lexus brand: Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate. Entries are expected to anticipate global challenges facing future society and suggest engaging and innovative ways to contribute to a sustainable future, while seamlessly enhancing the happiness of all. Lexus is looking for captivating designs that intersect with thoughtful solutions, designs that can truly make a brighter future for people and societies in diverse circumstances.
An all-star judging committee will review the entries from around the globe, announcing the six finalists in early 2022. Lexus funds the finalists’ prototype development with a budget of up to JPY 3-million (more than USD 25,000) per design. In spring 2022, the finalists will present their completed proposals to the judges, who will then select one Grand Prix winner.
Entries for the Lexus Design Award 2022 will be accepted up to 10th October.
* For more information, please visit LexusDesignAward.com
Official Hashtag: #LexusDesignAward
LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2022 PANEL OF MENTORS
SAM BARON
DESIGNER / CREATIVE DIRECTOR, SAM BARON & Co
A visionary creative leader, Sam Baron creates products and experiences, giving life to cross-over works mixing art and design that drive innovative ideas from concept to completion. His work touches many fields across hospitality, retail, design, fashion, and culture. From a global perspective, Baron leads sophisticated initiatives that create an experience for some of the world’s leading brands. For a decade, he has been a consultant as design director for Fabrica, an international communication research centre based in Italy.
In 2009 Baron received the "Grand Prix de la Creation de la Ville de Paris" in the design category, and in 2010 Philippe Starck selected him as one of the 10 important designers of the next decade. His work is constantly featured in the international press and included in international museum collections. Recently Baron has been awarded the special PAD Paris fair prize. He currently lives and works between Portugal and France.
JOE DOUCET
FOUNDER, JOE DOUCET X PARTNERS
A designer, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, Joe Doucet is one of the most sought-after creative talents working in the USA today. His work deftly hybridises function and visual appeal while conveying layers of meaning and message. Doucet believes that design and, more importantly, a designer’s thought process can play a larger role in innovation and problem solving, as well as aesthetics. He currently holds numerous patents for his designs and inventions.
Doucet’s work has been exhibited globally and has received numerous international awards, including a World Technology Award for Design Innovation and multiple Good Design Awards. Doucet was named the 2017 Winner of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award as Product Designer—the highest honour in his field. He was also a Designer of the Year 2019 finalist by Dezeen, and a recipient of Fast Company’s Most Important Design Companies of 2019.
YOSUKE HAYANO
PRINCIPAL PARTNER, MAD ARCHITECTS
Yosuke Hayano, an architect from Japan, is principal partner of MAD Architects based in Beijing, China. MAD is led by Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, and Yosuke and is committed to developing futuristic, organic, technologically advanced designs that embody a contemporary interpretation of the Eastern affinity for nature. With a vision for the city of the future based on the spiritual and emotional needs of residents, MAD endeavours to create a balance between humanity, the city and the environment.
Yosuke has been the winner of several high-profile awards, including the Architecture League of New York Young Architects Award (2006), the Design for Asia Award (2011), and the Kumamoto Artpolis Award (2011). He served as a visiting lecturer at the Waseda Art and Architecture School from 2008 to 2012 and at Tokyo University from 2010 to 2012. In addition, he acted as an external examiner at the Architectural Association of London from 2015 to 2019.
SABINE MARCELIS
DESIGNER / FOUNDER, STUDIO SABINE MARCELIS
Sabine Marcelis is a Dutch designer who runs her practice from the harbour in Rotterdam. After graduating from the Design Academy of Eindhoven in 2011, she began working as an independent designer in the fields of product, installation and spatial design with a strong focus on materiality. Her work is characterised by pure forms which highlight material properties.
Marcelis applies a strong aesthetic point of view to her collaborations with industry specialists. This method of working allows her to intervene in the manufacturing process, using material research and experimentation to achieve new and surprising visual effects for projects both showcased in museums and commissioned by commercial clients and fashion houses. Sabine won the prestigious Wallpaper awards ‘Designer of the Year 2020,’ The Elle Deco International Design award 2019 'Young Designer of the Tear’ and ‘GQ Men of the year 2019’ International Artist of the Year.