The 1st World Wood Day International Competitions
The 1st World Wood Day International Competitions
1st World Wood Day (WWD) International Ex Libris Competition
Winner Announcement
Message from the Jury
Ex-Libris (Bookplate) is a small piece of printed paper, also known as paper jewelry, that is a fun folio that decorates the endpage of an important book. We received 5 entries, which is not as many as we hoped, probably because ex-libris is not widely known.

The jury committee would like to acknowledge the entrants' hard work, whose own styles and sensibilities reflected the theme "Annual Ring." Among them, an adorable entry stood out that obviously applied the concept of ex-libris and the technique of woodblock printing. Therefore, the committee awarded this entry the Grand Prize. Three entries were named honorable mentions to commemorate the first Ex-Libris competition and will be awarded the same prize as the Grand Prize.

We sincerely hope this competition will help promote ex-libris more widely and future competitions will have more diverse entries from all around the world.
Grand Prize
"Snooze of A Cat"
Nanami Sasaki
Sasaki was born in 1996 in Ibaraki and graduated from the Department of Aesthetics and Art History, Faculty of Letters, Gunma Prefectural Women's University in 2018. At university, Sasaki studied design in the design seminar and worked mainly with paper.
Jury Comment Firmly based on the definition of the Ex-Libris, this is an original work with a thorough understanding of woodblock printing. It was awarded the Grand Prize because of its favorable style.
Honorable Mention
"Mimesis"
Takashi Matsuda
Matsuda is an illustrator living in Tokyo whose work is characterized by a delicate and warm drawing style using drawing materials such as ballpoint pens or pastels. He expresses his own unique world by fusing familiar everyday motifs with his imagination.
Jury Comment This work nicely arranged the large and small annual rings with the eye-catching cute cat. It provides an impression of modern art based on the colors and design.
"Exlibris of Forest"
SEIZAN
I was born in Tokyo, Japan. I started to draw colored ink paintings after meeting colored ink painter Toshihiko Takahashi. Since 1992, I have had exhibitions at Hinoki Gallery in Jimbocho, Gallery Tokyo Eizo in Azabujuban, and others. I also had exhibitions in Bangkok, Thailand in 2000 and 2001. I do colored ink paintings, ink paintings, and calligraphy on themes I am attracted to, such as Okinawa, Shisa, flowers, landscapes, Mt.Fuji, temple gates, and the guardian gods of Buddhism. I work hard to provide energy and healing to the people who see my art works.
Jury Comment This is an ambitious work that makes you think about the global environment and being conscious about the forest since it was submitted to a competition organized by Wood Culture Societies.
"An accompaniment to Reading"
Mitsumi Takada
Takada was born in Niigata, Japan and graduated from the Department of Graphic Design at Tokyo Polytechnic University. Takada started working as a woodblock print artist after working at a Japanese traditional woodblock prints publisher. Takada also works on illustrations and graphic designs. Takada is a part-time lecturer at the Nagaoka Institute of Design.
Jury Comment This work is a Baumkuchen (log cake) that fills the whole space and completes its design in gentle colors. This is a warm piece of work that reminds modern people of time and space which they are losing.
Theme
Annual Ring
Purpose
To increase the understanding and familiarity with wood and promote reading via the design of Ex Libris.
Organizers
International Wood Culture Society (IWCS)
Japan Wood Culture Society (JWCS)
Coorganizers
Tokyo Traditional Woodblock Print Association (TTWPA)
Sponsors
World Wood Day Foundation (WWDF)
Timeline and Deadlines
Competition Announcement
June 2021
Entry Submission
July 1 to August 31, 2021
Award Announcement
October 8, 2021
Awards
Grand Prize
President of International Wood Culture Society Award
The winning entrant will receive an honorable certificate and 20 woodblock prints of the awarded work.
Runner-Up
Representative Director of Japan Wood Culture Society Award
Two winning entrants will each receive an honorable certificate and 20 woodblock prints of the awarded work.
  • *Not all awards will be given if there is no applicable entry.
  • **The honorable certificates are originally made by the Tokyo Traditional Woodblock Print Association.
Jury
Gen Yamanaka Internationally awarded printmaker
Yukiko Takahashi CEO of Takahashi Kobo Co., Ltd. and President of Tokyo Traditional Woodblock Print Association
Rules and Regulations
  1. Open to all, no restrictions on professional status, age or nationality.
  2. Please include either "蔵書", "EXLIBRIS", "Ex Libris", or "愛書" in your submitted work.
  3. The size of work must be smaller than A7 (74mm x 105mm). The submitted work can be vertical or horizontal.
  4. The number of colors used in the submitted work must be 4 or less. Gradation is also counted as one color.
  5. The production year of your submitted work must be after 2010.
  6. An individual may submit up to 2 entries (one work per entry).
    However, a fee of JPY2,000 (US$20) will be charged for each entry. The entry fee will not be refunded for any reason after the payment is made.
  7. Each entry must be original and created by the entrant and must not have been awarded in any previous contests. If a submitted work is copied or is plagiarized, the work will be disqualified even after it has been awarded. The organizers are not responsible for any infringement of the copyrights regarding the copied or plagiarized entries.
  8. The submitted work will not be returned and will be kept by the organizer.
  9. The entry will not be accepted if the submitted information is incomplete or false. Submitted work of an incomplete entry will not be returned.
  10. Changes or additions to submitted works are not permitted once the submission is made.
  11. The names, photos, affiliations and submitted works of entries may be published on the websites of the contest, organizers, sponsors and related publications.
  12. The copyright and intellectual property rights of the awarded works belong to the organizers, the International Wood Culture Society (IWCS) and Japan Wood Culture Society (JWCS).
  • *Please make online payment of the entry fee by the payment URL included in the notification email which will be sent to you after the online submission form is completed.
  • *The awarded works are scheduled to be exhibited at the "World Wood Day International Online Exhibition". Please note that the schedule is subject to change and will be updated on the official website and SNS.
Submission Guidelines
  1. Online submission:
    Please fill out the online entry form. Please upload the file (3MB maximum) directly on the entry form after the entry number is available via email notice. Please name the file as following:
    Full name_Entry Number_Design work title.jpg.jpeg.pdf.pdf
  2. Submission by mail delivery:
    Please fill out the online entry form. Please print out the entry form with the entry number which will be notified via email. Please do send both the design work and the completed entry form with the entry number to the following address:

    2-4-19, Suido, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-0005, Japan
    JWCS executive office of the 1st World Wood Day International Ex Libris Competition
  • *Please ensure that the entry number, full name of the entrant and title of the entry work are all enclosed before sending.
  • **The mail submission which does not enclose both the design work and the completed entry form with the entry number will not be accepted as a qualified entry.
第1回ワールド・ウッド・デー蔵書票国際公募展