［Takeda］ Next, we would like to move onto the Jurors’ Special Prizes. First, we would like Professor Harcuba to make comments on the Harcuba Prize winning piece “OLD WOMEN” by Inguna Audere from Latvia.

［Harcuba］ This piece is to me like a message from the ancient past. It is figurative. I would call it “Venus.” It is small and yet monumental. It is precious. It is golden, an archeological piece with a beautiful patina. It is small, but dominant. Old is beautiful even if it’s made today. It is a timeless sculpture. It is simple and so rich. Once more, a WABI-SABI piece.
I also liked “THE LEAVES” by Runa Kosogawa. It is a poem. It reminds of the Haiku which I like about leaves fallen on the path to my hut over night. I will leave them and not “clean” the way to my hut.

［Takeda］ Next, we would like Professor Christensen to make comments on the Christensen Prize winning piece “Tayutau (swaying)” by Masayo Odahashi from Japan.

［Christensen］ Masayo Odahashi is unique among the Japanese glass artists of today. She is very different from most of the artists in Japanese glass art. We thought about her last work which received the Honorable Mention. When I saw the work by Odahashi for the first time, I thought that an elderly person made the piece because there was something religious in it. Maybe not religious, but I had the same feeling as when I see a wooden sculpture from the Kamakura period. Those small figures are thinking of their part of the world and looking at an inner self in their attitude to the outer world. I think that there is something similar in the work of Masayo Odahashi. She has had quite success in Europe in the last two years in the exhibition which has circulated in Germany and Denmark. And people feel so familiar with her works. I have looked at her works. It is strange that she called her exhibition in Germany and Denmark “Inner Look” as the person was just looking inside herself. It is much more appealing in her figures who contact with the outer world outside herself. But it is clear that she shakes in all what she sees around and thinks away and then sends it out into us. The light comes and reflects out in the world. I think that those kinds of artistic relations of the world and communication to contact with us could only be made with a material as glass. I am absolutely fascinated by the work of Masayo Odahashi.

［Takeda］ Next, we would like Professor Yokoyama to make comments on the Yokoyama Prize winning piece “Homage to Johannes Itten Series” by Camille Jacobs from Switzerland.

［Yokoyama］ This piece is one of the three series. I came to like this piece at a glance. I make it a rule to look at each work only from the perspective of creativity of glass. It doesn’t matter whether or not a piece is flat, three dimensional, tableware, or an object. This piece has something placid and a harmony between forms and colors. In looking at this piece from above, the thing to note is the bold composition of colors. Three series are made up of the different composition of colors, which lets viewers enjoy the color composition. The artist’s intention is successful. After I picked out this piece, I got to know its title “Homage to Johannes Itten Series” and found something convincing. Itten is an expert in chromatics and color composition.

［Takeda］ Next, we would like Professor Carlson to make comments on the Jurors’ Special Prize, Carlson Prize winning piece “barracks” by Kohei Kishimoto from Japan.

［Carlson］ I’ve been working with glass for many years. So back in 70’s, the 1970’s, not 1870’s, I started blowing glass and I loved the process. I liked smelting. I liked the ability to bake the full forms and used the glass as a skin to expand and worked with a surface for imagery.
So when I look at glass, I always look towards certain things that have that tradition, that glass tradition of the vessel. And even though my work no longer relies upon the process, I love to be able to enjoy the success of the blown objects.
With this piece, there is a wonderful interpretation of fabric. And even thought the pieces are simple, oval shaped, two pieces of oval shape, they really talk about a kind of flowing fabric and textures of cloths that clad the pieces.
It was a wonderful way to end the jury of that because we had a chance to take a piece that maybe didn’t get all the support for award but the piece that we each could have a moment with and see it individually rather than as a juror as a whole.

［Takeda］ I would like to make comments on the Jurors’ Special Prize, Takeda Prize winning piece in the end. I selected “natural verse” by Midori Tsukada from Japan. The artist has tried various experimental works. Each of her works showed a certain level of quality. I have considered her as a competent artist. This piece shows once again her passion to express herself in a challenging way. I appreciated that point and selected this piece for my prize. It is quite big and stout. I look forward to her improvement in her techniques and artistic impression because this piece still looks in the middle of her experiment.
That’s all for comments on prize winning pieces. We would like each juror to say a few words including their impressions on the Final Assessment and some advices for young glass artists. I hope each juror will summarize their impression briefly like a Haiku poem. If some of the audience have some questions, we will answer them.